The First Grail War
by Librius
Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**This is my first fanfic on the Fate Series. I couldn't resist the overwhelming urge to get this started so I just decided to get right at it. My knowledge on the Fate series I will admit is probably not as good as others but I will say that I have watched it, definitely loved it, and know it enough to know exactly how it all goes. This is of course the beginning of a trilogy of stories, which focuses on the First, Second and Third Grail Wars, since we never actually knew anything about them.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

**Tokyo City, Union Church  
1799 - 1 Year before the Holy Grail War**

"Considering the possible destructive magnitude of this upcoming war, how can we be sure that we'll be able to keep something of such colossal power from being discovered by the public? Our own magical capabilities can only allow us to do so much."

Two young men, one in his early twenties, the other in his early thirties, wandered down the bright shining halls of the church as they discussed the establishment and birth of the Holy Grail War.

"Why should we be putting our attention towards something of little importance? Why should we put ourselves at risk just for something that for all we know, may not be necessarily true?"

The Holy Grail War was a ritual to be used as a means to recover the Third Magic lost by the Einzbern family, to be used as a means for all families to reach Akasha. But the early events of the ritual were foreseen by one of these young men, and he eventually discovered that the ritual wasn't a simple as the families thought. He discovered it was something much more, and he foresaw what would result in the process.

"Many of our fellow members of the Church are scattered throughout the globe, fighting against the Mage's Association, you do realise that if they survive and find out that we have abandoned them just for this Grail, they will find us and kill us."

Upon reaching the alter at the end of the large shining hall, the young man in his thirties spoke. "You underestimate the capabilities of this war. It could do a lot, not just for them, but for us too, Kazuto." He seated himself in front of the alter and smirked. "Think about it, the Holy Grail, a wish granting device that could grant you anything you desire, a rare opportunity indeed."

The younger man, Kazuto Amon, fixed his sunglasses before turning his back to the older man. "I see this as nothing but a pointless waste of my time."

"My visions do not fail me Kazuto. I foresaw the early events of this war and what it is capable of, this is an opportunity for both of us, if my visions were wrong, I wouldn't have left the Church for it otherwise." The older man replied.

Kazuto narrowed his eyes at him. "You're playing with fire, Hidei Kotomine. You said that in your visions, you foresaw the families and four outside magi performing the ritual and successfully summoned seven servants. But after that, they broke off their alliance, returned to their homes and started to battle each other for possession of the Grail. Despite not being able to see the outcome of the war, you're positive that we'll be able to benefit from this?"

"I'm very positive. As I said, if I wasn't sure that this would work out, we wouldn't be here having this discussion." Hidei replied.

Kazuto twirled around a sharp edged knife and placed it in his long black coat, Hidei closed his eyes and gently clasped his hands together as he continued. "Just remember a few things Kazuto. One, we must make sure the public does not witness these events, because if other people do witness them, they may decide to try and take the Grail for themselves. And two, we have to be careful no one finds out about our involvement, if the families do find out about us, they'll be extra cautious and we'll be unable to make a move. If the Church finds out that we've involved ourselves with this, they'll kill us the moment they find us."

"I get it Hidei, damn, I can't believe I let you talk me into this. Just tell me when it begins so we can get this over and done with." Kazuto said.

Hidei sighed. "It isn't as easy as you think, the process takes time, do you even know how the procedure works?"

In all honesty, he didn't, Kazuto made it clear when he shook his head. Hidei continued. "For your simple-minded brain, I will make it easy for you to understand. Nine years ago, the ritual of the Holy Grail was discussed and established by the three families, Einzbern, Tohsaka and Matou, just so they could recover the third magic and reach Akasha. Since then, they have focused on gathering the necessary energy required to manifest."

Hidei looked at him to make sure he was paying attention. Kazuto gave a slight nod, after which, Hidei continued. "There is only one year left. Next year is when the war will begin. The Grail will choose seven magi as Masters to call forth and command the spirits of ancient heroes from past nations and ages to battle each other and establish their supremacy. This is the Holy Grail War and it is what it will be for many years to come. When the families call four outside magi to join them in the ritual, they will eventually discover that only one can use the Grail. After that, they will break off their alliance, and the battle will begin."

It started to make more sense now, as Kazuto pieced together the puzzle in his head, Hidei faced him. "Kazuto, you were the Church's best Executor, that's why I chose you to join me in this task of retrieving the Grail. Once we obtain it, I shall use it to fulfil my desire, after which, when the families begin the second Grail war, we will take that one aswell and you shall have your own wish granted. A fair deal, yes?"

"I guess so..." Kazuto replied.

Hidei nodded. "Good, it's settled then."

The Executor sat down next to Hidei and lit up a cigar. "So then...how will we know when it's begun?"

"We will know." Hidei said. "An individual member from each family, the Einzbern, the Tohsaka and the Matou, will receive their command seals if they haven't already, aswell as four others, although I cannot name who those others could be as it is unknown to me, but there are a lot of outside magi out there. We will find out in due time, and when all masters receive their command seals and summon their servants, the Holy Grail War will begin."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you don't mind the short start, as it is after all, a Prologue. I am accepting OC submissions for this story, and I need a total of 7 Authors of course to submit their OC Masters and their Servants. Basically I am giving 7 people a chance to be involved in this story, and their OCs will act as the Masters of this Grail War.**

**Update: All OC and Servant roles are filled, I would like to thank everyone for submitting, I will be sure to do my very best in meeting your expectations.**

**Please Review! The feedback is always helpful.**


	2. Chapter 2: Magi

**Well, people submitted their Masters and Servants much quicker than I anticipated, and I got very good Submissions. First off, I would like to thank the people who submitted, it's thanks to you that I now have the necessary required pieces to continue this story and hope it meets or even exceeds the expectations of readers. I will do my utmost best to write your characters the way you imaged them and try to ensure the story leads up to the series.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic. Mellisa Einzbern belongs to TresserT, Kazu Tohsaka belongs to Raging Akuma D, Albert Makiri/Matou belongs to Heaven Canceler, Floyd Lantos belongs to TheCiper, Itou Fujii belongs to Unkown Being, John Takuma belongs to AuraLancer, Lukaryia Yagami belongs to Windraider.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Magi**

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence  
1800 - 3 Days before the Holy Grail War**

Within the large wealthy living room of the Tohsaka residence sat the current heads of the three families.

Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, the current head of the Einzbern family and the one who devised the Ritual.

Nagato Tohsaka, the founder of the Tohsaka family and, thanks to his relationship with the Church, the man who provided everyone Fuyuki city, the location of where the ritual was to take place.

And Zouken Matou, patriarch of the Matou family and the one responsible for the system of Master and Servant.

Standing in front of these three leaders, was Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg, also known as Zelretch the Wizard Marshall.

Ten years had gone by and the ritual had been finalised, all the specifics and details were taken care of. The ritual was to take place in Fuyuki City, the land was provided by Nagato, and Justeaze was to become the key by utilizing her body to become the magic circuit of the Grail. Zouken was in awe every time he stared at her, he knew the possible results that would take place in this sacrifice and despite the fact that she was of the Einzbern family, he loved her deeply.

Zelretch approached the three family heads and sat himself down in front of them. "So, it's been settled then?"

"Yes..." Nagato said. "The location is set. A member from each of our families has been chosen, and four outside magi are already on their way here to assist us in completing the Grail."

Justeaze was the next to speak. "Once we are informed of their arrival, we shall go to the great cave underground of the Ryuudou Temple at Mount Enzou. From what I'm told, the magic circle is already complete and all we need is the presence of the seven chosen masters and myself."

"You would be correct in that statement, Justeaze..." They turned to Zouken, who gave Justeaze a friendly smile. "Again, the Matou and the other families will forever be grateful and remember you for this sacrifice. You are truly a noble person worthy of your title."

"Hm." Justeaze looked away, as if she didn't care about what he said and faced Zelretch. "Just remember...first you must become the core of the Grail Justeaze, upon which, the seven magi will then summon their servants and complete the ritual. The Great Grail should reveal itself afterward, allowing you all to recover that which was lost." Zelretch said before turning to the Tohsaka family head. "Nagato, is your family member prepared to take up such a role?"

Nagato merely replied with a simple nod. "Kazu has recently been through, a hard time. He recently lost his fiancée and hasn't exactly been talkative as of late. Despite this though, and despite being only twenty-three years old, he is skilled in all five elements and is experienced in other types of magic, he knows what to do and his knowledge on magic is infinitely great, I wouldn't pick anyone else for this if I wasn't sure he wouldn't be up to the task."

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence Library**

Several maids stood by the entrance of the library and watched as Kazu Tohsaka flickered through the pages of a large book on alchemy. Due to being one of the chosen magi to summon a servant, he was given very special treatment, all of his work was taken care of for him and he was given nearly all the time he needed to learn more on magic. But at the moment, he didn't care about learning about magic and he didn't care about the special treatment either, nor did he care about the ritual to recover the third magic, he was still dwelling on the funeral of his fiancée that took place a good while ago.

As he read through the book, he set his eyes slightly on the photo frame that hung from the wall, in it was a photo of several members of the Tohsaka family, amongst them was Kazu and his fiancée. "Hm..." Kazu closed the book and got to his feet.

"Master Kazu, are you finished with the library for today?" One of the maids asked.

Kazu faced her and replied with a slight nod. "Where would you like to go now?" The maid added.

"I'm going to my room. I want some privacy..." He replied in a slightly emotionless tone.

Upon leaving the library, Kazu wandered down the corridor and stopped as he reached the doors to the living room. He could hear voices on the other side and listened in.

"Kazu has changed a little, for the worse if I may be so bold, he hasn't really been sociable for a while." That voice he knew well, it was Nagato Tohsaka, one of his great relatives. "But I guarantee you that despite his sudden attitude change, he was more than willing to accept being a Master. Besides, he's done so much already, he's read every single book in the library and learned a lot about magic, I think this might be a nice change for him, wouldn't you agree?"

Kazu narrowed his eyes a little upon hearing Nagato's words. Then he heard another voice, this one sounded like an old man. "I completely understand Nagato, as soon as Justeaze becomes one with the cup itself, all we will require is the energy of the servants, upon which the ritual will open a hole to the Akasha."

Another voice spoke. "While it's true that the energy of seven servants is all that's required, keep in mind one thing Zouken. Are you perfectly positive that any of the outside magi won't have any ulterior motives when the Great Grail is filled? What's to stop any of the outside magi from taking the opportunity to use the Grail for their own desires?"

Silence followed and a long minute went by before another voice spoke up, this one was a woman. "You are right Zelretch, we don't know if any of the outside magi may be planning to use the Grail for themselves, and at this point they only have knowledge on the whole Ritual and what needs to be done. But be that as it may, it's a risk that needs to be taken."

Still a little confused about the whole thing, Kazu decided to move on down the corridor, at the moment he didn't really care about the Grail and the Ritual enough to listen in about it.

After reaching his room, he entered and shut the door behind him, he then fell down on his bed and let out a frustrated sigh. "I should of told Nagato to pick someone else for this thing. I guess I can look on the brighter side of it, it'll be something entirely new, maybe it'll keep me satisfied for a few hours when it begins."

A short moment passed, Kazu lifted up and looked at the back of his right hand, on it was three red circular crests, or as Zouken Matou had called them, Command Seals. He closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

**Tokyo City, Union Church**

Kneeling before the alter of the shining halls of the church was Hidei Kotomine, praying for luck and success, praying that his desires will be granted through the course of the Ritual. He was aware that only three days was left until the Ritual would begin, three days until all seven chosen magi would gather and eventually summon their servants and sacrifice them so their energy would be collected by the Grail. He would soon travel to Fuyuki City and keep a low profile and watch from the shadows as the three families went about their business to complete the ritual.

As he opened his eyes, he saw a blinding white light, then he saw what looked like a large open cave. Inside the cave, he saw Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern standing in the middle of a large magic circle that consisted of a series of seals carved on a radius of above fifty meters of bare rock. Then, a large white light ascended from the circle, engulfing Justeaze. A long moment went by before the light dissipated, Justeaze was no longer there, and instead, standing in her place was a cup, the Great Grail, it shined a magnificent golden light that was so bright, it could blind anyone who looked directly at it. Afterwards, he saw seven magi standing amongst Zelretch the Wizard Marshall, Zouken Matou and Nagato Tohsaka, suddenly they started to leave, one by one, until only three were left. But eventually, those three left aswell, while Zouken and Nagato remained behind with Zelretch.

His vision became blurry, clouded, then he saw nothing but darkness, he opened his eyes and found himself staring at the alter of the Church.

"You saw it again didn't you?"

Hidei looked over his shoulder, a flash of white light appeared and something materialized behind him. "For someone who claims most magic is useless, you sure seem to like using that Teleportation magic Kazuto."

Kazuto fully materialized before Hidei and smirked. "Like you just said, I claim MOST magic is useless, not ALL magic." After letting out a slight chuckle, he continued. "So, I'm guessing you foresaw the events playing out again?"

"Indeed..." Hidei replied. "I can see the other magi even as we speak...three of them in Fuyuki city, the other four are arriving as we speak."

After fixing his sunglasses, Kazuto asked. "How exactly do they find out that only one can use the Grail?"

"Simple...one of the seven magi asks the very question, how many of them are able to use it? Zelretch concludes that only one can use it, despite the large source of energy that is gathered, he is able to find out that only one individuals desire can be granted. That said, they argue amongst themselves and they eventually take their leave. A good while after that, all seven magi conclude that the Grail can only be completed once it collects the souls and energy of seven servants, upon which, it will be able to grant any wish to the one who has it in their possession. In more simple terms Kazuto, the seven magi eventually conclude that they must summon their servants and battle each other until only one master and servant remain. It is through this battle, that they will know who deserves the Grail." Hidei explained.

Kazuto folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "And thus begins the Holy Grail War?"

"Yes...the Holy Grail War will begin..." Hidei repeated him. He sat himself down and looked at the alter. "I believe the other masters will arrive soon, until then, continue to keep an eye on things Kazuto."

The Executor merely replied with a simple nod before dematerializing.

* * *

**Fuyuki City Outskirts, Einzbern Castle**

"Miss Mellisa! You shouldn't be running around on your own!"

A young woman wandered around the Castle's Chapel with a book of alchemy in her hand. She had light blonde hair and reddish-brown eyes, she wore a green summer dress, sandals and ducked shaped earrings along with a wide brimmed straw hat which she held in her other hand.

Upon reaching the alter at the end of the chapel, she sat down on one of the benches and started flickering through the pages of the book.

"Miss Melissa!" An old man in a white suit entered the Chapel and approached her.

"Hello Noland! How are you?" Mellisa asked.

The old man stopped as soon as he reached her and looked at the book in her hands. "Oh...I see you were just studying more on Alchemy, forgive me if I bothered you."

"It's okay Noland!" She replied.

With a sigh, the old man said. "You're eighteen years old now Mellisa, you've known me for a long time and you still fail to get my name right, it's Roland."

"Ok Roland!" She looked up at the butler. "Is there something you need? Is Justeaze back from her trip? Do I finally get to meet my new friend?"

Roland laughed a little at her enthusiasm. "Now calm down Mellisa, one question at a time. First off, it's time for your lunch. Justeaze won't be coming back, she's in Fuyuki remember? We've been through this already. Now let's go get you something to eat, you must be hungry."

Mellisa smiled and hopped off the bench, after which, she looked at the back of her right hand. On her hand were three red crests that nearly merged together to create a cross shaped symbol, it almost looked like a sword. "So, Roland, what do these three symbols do again?"

Roland kneeled down until they were face to face. "These are your command seals Mellisa, with them you will be able to order your servant to do anything you want, three times, only three times. But it won't come to that as you may only need to use one."

She laughed. "Haha! But I won't have to order my friend to do that, I'm sure they'll do anything I want if I just ask them nicely!"

Roland frowned a little. "Mellisa, they are to be your servant, don't think of them as a friend."

"But remember Roland! You told me yourself that people who think themselves superior than others is no better than all of the bad people in this world. Didn't you?" Mellisa replied.

Roland sighed. "I...you're right, just don't think of this as too much of a game, it's absolutely important that you focus."

Mellisa nodded. "Don't worry Roland! I'll focus! And I'll do my best to make my family proud!"

"That's a good girl..." He stood up and held out his hand. "Well, shall we go and get you something to eat then?"

Taking his hand, she smiled and pulled him along. "Yes! Let's!"

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Matou Residence**

Standing outside the main entrance of the Matou residence was Albert Matou, the selected member of the Matou family to become a master and assist the other magi with the completion of the Great Grail. He had purple eyes and hair which was tied back and he wore a red kimono, something that he had taken a very big liking to.

At twenty-eight years old, he has had plenty of time to learn much about magic, and was more than experienced enough to earn the favour of Zouken, who had picked him for the role of master.

He kept his eyes set on the gate, waiting for the return of Zouken who had gone to the Tohsaka residence to meet with the other family heads. He idolized Zouken and hoped that when the Great Grail was completed, he would regain the happiness of the older member of the Matou family.

The other thing that continued to wander around in his mind was the summoning of servants. He learned everything he needed to know about servants, as well as the ritual and the Grail itself, and he was greatly interested in what it would turn out like. There was no telling what kind of ancient hero he would have under his command, all he knew was that it would be a most likely great experience, there was no denying that. He was thrilled at the thought of meeting a hero from a past nation and age, there were so many in fact, he had no idea which one he would summon.

From what he knew, the system was created so that there were seven different classes. Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker. He repeated those classes in his head a second time, and he shivered slightly at the Berserker class, he could only imagine what kind of ancient hero had the ferocity to match such a class.

He was unsure of what class of Servant he would summon, all he could do was continuously think about it until the time came for the ritual. Although if he'd have to pick, he was hoping for maybe a Lancer or Archer, he was interested in what kind of heroes would suit those classes.

With a sigh, he looked at the long cane he held in his hand, then set his eyes on the three red crests on the back of his right hand, they were three sharp-edged bent lines that curled almost together and almost made a triangle. "The command seals..." He muttered quietly to himself.

It was Zouken who had thought of the idea of the command seals, and Albert thought that it was a genius idea. In the unexpected turn of events that a servant turned on their master after the summoning, they could use a command seal to stop them.

"Smart idea, Uncle Zouken, very smart..." Albert said as he looked up at the night sky. "And yet I wonder, I don't believe that's the only reason command seals are required. What other purpose do they serve?"

* * *

**Fuyuki City Docks**

Floyd Lantos exited the large ship and looked around for someone who was from one of the three families. Hearing the call of this ritual, he was greatly interested in what it would result in and contacted the families to offer himself as a master to one of these, servants. He wore a black business suit and had black hair along with hazel coloured eyes. He took a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and placed them over his eyes, after which he moved through the crowd of people to look for someone who was expecting him.

As soon as he reached a small open area in the street where it was quiet, he saw someone standing under a dimly lit lamp post, staring at him. Out of curiosity, he approached the man. He had short black spiky hair and wore a plain black suit along glasses.

Just by looking at him, Floyd assumed him to be one of those smartass types and turned to leave, but stopped when the man spoke. "Floyd Lantos I'm guessing?"

Floyd faced him. "You from one of the families?"

The man shook his head. "Then who are you?" Floyd asked.

"John Takuma. Good to meet you." He replied with a blank expression. Floyd was confused, this guy seemed, strange, there wasn't even a hint of a smile or any other facial expression, he was completely blank.

"And how do you know me?" Floyd replied.

John folded his arms and sighed. "Floyd Lantos, twenty-eight years old and has no interest in magecraft, yet here you are involving yourself in something that completely involves magic. Strange don't you think?"

Floyd narrowed his eyes and glared at him, behind his sunglasses, his eyes let out a slight glow, then he frowned. "I see, you're also one of the seven."

"Looks like you having the ability of clairvoyance is true after all. Yes, I'm one of the seven, I was the last in fact, and being the last gave me the chance to find out more about who else was chosen. I'm thirty-three years old by the way and I am quite skilled at distortion magic, and all you have is your little mystic eyes, that isn't really something that can measure up to other magic now is it?" John said.

Floyd rolled his eyes and sat down on a nearby bench. "Whatever. Are we supposed to be waiting here for someone or are we supposed to find our own way around the city?"

"We wait. The Tohsaka will send someone to pick us up and take us to Ryuudou Temple, in the great cave underground at Mount Enzou where the ritual is supposed to take place." John explained.

Floyd raised a brow. "Really? Well that sounds interesting, I'm pretty positive that the three families plan on using the Grail for their own means, hopefully they'll be fair and allow us to do the same."

"I rather doubt it..." John replied before looking at the command seals on the back of his left hand. "Although I have to say, there's something else going on here than just a ritual, I'm sure it's more than what they make it out to be. We'll have find out when the time comes, until then, I suggest we act as if we're not suspicious."

He wasn't willing to take orders from someone else, but Floyd did admit that it was a good assumption and it was also a good idea, he decided to go along with it for now. "Sure."

Floyd lit up a cigar and lay back against the soft seat.

"You know, you shouldn't be smoking, it's bad for you." Someone said.

Floyd and John turned to the source of the voice, there was two young woman standing nearby giving them suspicious looks. The older one who spoke wore a white blouse, brown heel boots and a long blue skirt that had frills on the ends. "Smoking can kill people you know." She brushed her hair back a little and continued. "I'm Itou Fujii, twenty-seven years old by the way so if you're one of those generous types that worry about kids wandering around by themselves, then don't."

John spoke up. "You two are also masters, right?" His expression remained blank as usual.

Itou faced him. "That's right, you two as well huh?"

"Yeah..." Floyd faced the little girl that was with Itou and continued. "What about you little miss?"

The little girl sighed. Her snow white hair was tied into a ponytail and she wore a flower petal kimono, she faced Floyd and frowned at him. "I'm not a girl dammit!"

This caught John and Floyd's attention. Itou spoke up again. "Oh, yes, I forgot, this is Lukaryia Yagami, don't be fooled by his appearance, he's actually a boy."

"Wow, seriously? Why do you look so much like a girl? And how old are you?" Floyd asked in a slightly amused tone.

Lukaryia narrowed his eyes. "First off, people are born the way they are, it's not my fault I was born looking like a chick! And second, I'm twenty-one years old. I may be short and all, but don't let my appearance fool you, I'm much stronger than I look."

Floyd nodded at his words. "Oh ok. For a moment I thought you were cross-dresser."

"I wonder what that makes you then." Lukaryia replied.

Floyd raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lukaryia shook his head and turned away. "Nothing..."

Before the conversation could continue, a man in a red suit approached them. "You four are the magi who have come to assist in the completion of the Grail?"

All four faced him and nodded. "Good, your timing is perfect, let's go." The man said before walking down the street.

John and Floyd exchanged glances before following him. Itou nodded at Lukaryia before rushing to catch up with them, Lukaryia let out a quiet sigh and followed. "Are we seriously going to walk to this place?"

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence**

"I just received a message, the four outside magi have arrived in Fuyuki City and are being taken to Ryuudou Temple."

Zelretch replied with a nod before walking towards the doors. "I shall go to the temple then and greet them. Nagato, Zouken, Justeaze, I'll be waiting with the other magi, I want the three of you to come to Ryuudou Temple first thing in the morning, make sure your chosen master is with you." He said before leaving.

Nagato slowly turned until his eyes were on Zouken. "Something has me a little nervous...I can't help but feel like this ritual is going produce negative results. Zouken?"

"I believe you may be right Nagato. But the moment we decided to accept outside magi was the moment we knew things would most likely go downhill. All we can do is wait, and see for ourselves if this Ritual will go exactly the way we want it to."

Justeaze got to her feet. "You two are so paranoid, nothing is going to go wrong." She said before leaving the living room.

When the time for the Ritual was upon them however, Justeaze would no longer be around to see just how wrong she was.

* * *

**Author's Notes: The basics are out of the way, everyone knows what to expect and the Ritual will commence in the next chapter, the Negative results that Nagato spoke of will indeed happen. Also, Zelretch, Nagato, Justeaze and Zouken as I'm sure you probably know are all canon, I'll be honest, if those characters did not exist, this chapter would have been almost impossible to write. Jeez, there's so many details in this series, it's kinda hard to get the whole process just right. The Ritual will take place in the next chapter as I said earlier and the official Holy Grail War will from then on begin, expect all of your servants to appear very soon.**

**That said, I hope I wrote all of your characters well enough to meet your expectations, and I would also once again like to thank all of the people who submitted.**

**Please leave a Review! Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated! If you have any suggestions, feel free to share 'em!**


	3. Chapter 3: Ritual

**The story seems to be going at a very reasonable pace so far. The Ritual begins, and the seven Masters eventually go their own way to decide what to do with the Grail should they win it in the newly official, Holy Grail War.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic. Mellisa Einzbern belongs to TresserT, Kazu Tohsaka belongs to Raging Akuma D, Albert Makiri/Matou belongs to Heaven Canceler, Floyd Lantos belongs to TheCiper, Itou Fujii belongs to Unkown Being, John Takuma belongs to AuraLancer, Lukaryia Yagami belongs to Windraider.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Ritual**

**Mount Enzou, Ryuudou Temple  
1800 - The Ritual, the Holy Grail War begins**

Six of the seven masters stood outside the large entrance to the great cave alongside Zelretch, Justeaze, Nagato and Zouken, awaiting the arrival of the seventh and last master.

Zouken slowly looked at each of the masters. To him, not a single one of them looked worthy of being granted this honour, he couldn't say the same for Mellisa Einzbern, the only one who he believed was worth any attention was of course, his nephew, Albert Matou.

Albert rested both of his hands on his long cane and kept his eyes set on the entrance of the great cave, if one thing Zouken had to give him credit for, it was that he took this seriously.

Zelretch then spoke up. "I trust that in the few days you have all had together, you were all able to get well acquainted?"

With the exception of Albert, the masters nodded. In the short amount of time that was left, all of them still had plenty of time to know more about each other, learn more about their history and knowledge on magic and such. Albert and Mellisa were already well acquainted, at most, the two them were on really good terms with each other.

Itou Fujii and Lukaryia Yagami stood next to each other and were clearly having a private conversation. The two of them seemed to have became friends very quick and they enjoyed each others company.

As for John Takuma and Floyd Lantos, they were very quiet, the two of them seemed to be on pretty good terms considering they were always standing next to each other. At most though, no matter where they were, no matter what was happening, they just stood and remained quiet, they looked like a couple of secret agents ready to sneak into a bank or something.

Finally, after what seemed like a long time, the last master was approaching.

Kazu Tohsaka. Nagato narrowed his eyes at the younger Tohsaka family member. He was about six foot, he had light skin and was wearing a red hooded jacket, the front of the hood was pulled down so that it covered his eyes but everyone could make out his short black hair. He was also wearing a black shirt underneath along with black pants and brown combat shoes, there was also an ouroboros symbol on the back of his jacket. He was also wearing a jade necklace, although its importance was unknown to them all, except Nagato, Zouken, Justeaze and Zelretch.

After reaching the group, Kazu slowly looked up and cast a quick cold glance at the six other masters. Albert and John remained unfazed, but the others were slightly taken aback by the look he gave them.

Kazu's piercing blue eyes then went towards Nagato and the others. "I'm here. Let's go."

* * *

**Tokyo City, Union Church**

Hidei Kotomine didn't have to pay attention to the light behind him, as he was aware of who was approaching. Getting to his feet, he turned and locked eyes with the deadly Executor, Kazuto Amon, who materialized before him.

"Today is the day, the masters are going to the designated area where the ritual is to take place." Kazuto said.

With a slight nod, Hidei replied. "Just a few more hours. Just a few more hours Kazuto, until the Holy Grail War, officially begins, I'd like for you to keep an eye on each master, no matter where they are. Of course, I'm talking about after they summon their servants, but keep your distance when that time comes, there's no telling how dangerous the servants will be. Despite your own skills, I doubt you would last long."

"Good to know you have a lot of faith in me." Kazuto lit a cigar and smirked. "It doesn't matter, from what I've seen, the majority of the masters are inexperienced, at most, the only ones who look decent are the Matou and Tohsaka masters. I don't know what will transpire in the process of this War Hidei, but I don't expect many of the masters to make it through. Heh, in fact, I don't expect any of them, to make it through."

Hidei closed his eyes and sighed. "Never be so quick to jump to conclusions Kazuto. And never underestimate the capabilities of a magus, even a novice magus, because they just might surprise you."

"How will we know when to make a move though? If I'm right, the Grail itself is supposed to be completed when seven heroic souls are gathered within it..." Kazuto added.

Nodding at his statement, Hidei continued for him. "Which means, we must wait until only one master and servant are left...there will only be one left in the end. That, is when you shall strike Kazuto, you will kill whichever master is left, I'm sure the servant will also fade away, as Servants need masters to supply them with mana and such."

"Simply put, we wait a little longer." Kazuto replied with a slightly frustrated tone.

Hidei grinned. "Don't worry, the wait, shall be worth it in the end."

* * *

**Mount Enzou, Ryuudou Temple Great Cave**

Led by Zelretch, the family heads and the group of masters finally reached the end of the cave. They stepped out into a large, wide open area, up ahead was the magic circle, inscribed onto the ground. It consisted of a series of seals carved on a radius of above fifty meters of bare rock.

Turning to the masters, Zelretch motioned for them to stay put while he walked on ahead, followed by Justeaze, Nagato and Zouken.

Albert looked to the other masters, Itou and Lukaryia were standing a little far behind them, while John was standing the furthest away from them. Floyd was standing to his left while Mellisa was standing to his right. As for Kazu, he was far behind the group, almost as if he was trying to keep as far away from them as possible.

Tempted as he was to start conversation mainly to satisfy his curiosity, he refrained from doing so as he figured that neither of them would be interested at the moment. Just by looking at the expressions on their faces, it was as if they were at someone's funeral, they stood frozen still and remained completely silent. It didn't really surprise him too much though considering the current situation of things, what with the whole Ritual and the command seals, along with the summoning of servants who were mentioned to be heroes from ancient times.

It did spark one curious question in his head though. If the servants were great heroes back during their lifetime when they were still alive, why were they called 'servants'? To Albert, it didn't exactly make any sense, calling a hero a servant, it was as if it was a way of trying to make them look inferior while he and other masters looked superior. Thinking about it, it didn't really fit well with him, it seemed too disrespectful.

Of course, this was his opinion, he had no idea what thoughts were going through the minds of the other masters. Giving each of them another look, he immediately concluded that maybe, just maybe, most of them wouldn't see themselves superior than an epic hero. After all, when it came down to it, it's no ones place to say who is superior than a hero, it all comes down to what they can do. Actions justify It all, if someone were capable of showing just what they were made of, if they were to show that they were able to do much more than what an actual epic hero could do, then, it would be their place to say that they are superior.

He had no idea on what was to happen after they all summoned the servants, but he hoped that they would be given a good amount of time to get to know them, maybe even ask them questions about their history and their time, knowledge is a powerful thing, and he liked knowledge.

Kazu merely watched as Albert remained frozen, looking at the ground, still as a statue, he knew something was going through his mind right now, but at that moment he quickly turned away and let out a quiet sigh, he didn't care.

Thoughts were going through the heads of all of the masters, if the ritual works and the Holy Grail is capable of granting possibly any desire, they were all wondering what it was that they wanted. Of course, about one or two of them already knew what they wanted, Albert's goal was the same as Zouken's, he wanted to revive the Third Magic, which, to his annoyance, was lost by the Einzberns, he still wanted to obliterate them for that. It was for that exact reason, that he had a slight hatred and grudge against the Einzbern family, for if they hadn't been so stupid, this whole Grail business wouldn't be necessary. He puts his grudge aside though for the sake of his uncle.

Kazu had no desire, for he only wanted to get this ritual over and done with so he could seclude himself away from everyone else.

Mellisa herself was still confused about the whole Grail business, but she just followed everyone else's lead and tried to act like she knew what was going on.

John on the other hand had his own goal, he desired his own earth, and maybe, just maybe, the Grail would be more than capable of granting him that. If it did, he would resort to anything to ensure he reached his goal.

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted when they saw Justeaze continue towards the very center of the large magic circle. Standing a good few feet away from it was Zelretch, Nagato and Zouken, the latter of whom who gave a worried look at Justeaze.

Reaching the center of the magic circle, Justeaze let out a quiet sigh and faced the three, then she cast a quick glance towards the seven masters, then Mellisa herself, before slowly dropping to her knees. She closed her eyes, and she began a silent enchantment of some sort.

All masters watched on curiously as the magic circle began to glow.

"This is it..." Zouken muttered.

A great white light emerged and ascended from the circle, eventually, it engulfed Justeaze, forcing Zouken to shed a single tear as he saw her swallowed up by the great blinding light. The light seemed to be getting brighter, if that was even possible, even everyone who was in the cave had to cover their eyes as it glowed a powerful light.

Finally, after what appeared to be a long time had passed, the light dissipated. Everyone rubbed their eyes and set their sights on where Justeaze once stood, only to find that she was no longer there, and instead, standing in her place was a cup, the Great Grail. It was beautiful, it shined a magnificent golden light that was so bright, it could blind anyone who looked directly at it. It was, amazing, like a priceless treasure that not even the largest sum of money could buy.

Zouken sighed and looked up at the ceiling of the cave. "Farewell Justeaze..." He muttered quietly before turning to Zelretch.

"We have witnessed a miracle, the Great Grail itself is now before us." The wizard marshall said.

"Justeaze's sacrifice will not be for nothing..." Nagato added as he turned to the masters. "Now...for us to use the power of the Grail..."

Zelretch knew what he was talking about and continued for him. "Yes..." He faced the masters. "All masters, listen carefully, some of you studied for this and all of you have been given the knowledge you need to help finish the completion of the Grail. At this time now, I ask that you use your abilities as a master, and begin the summoning of your servants, for it is their energy that will hasten the Grail's completion. All of you know what to do, all of you know what to say, in order to summon your servants, it's time to begin."

Nagato spoke again. "Once the Grail has been completed, we will finally be able to use it and accomplish our goal."

All masters, with the exception of Kazu, Albert and John, exchanged confused looks. "That's it? Seems pretty simple doesn't it?" Itou said.

"Yes...too simple." John muttered quietly.

Floyd pondered on their earlier words over and over for a moment before bringing up a question that continued to wander through his head. "I do have on question, if I may bring it up..."

His words got everyone's attention as all eyes were on him, with the exception of Zelretch who kept his sights on the Grail, Floyd continued. "Now, I realise that this Grail is capable of granting quite possibly any desire, we all know this. I already speculated that when these, servants, are summoned, it is their energy that will empower the Grail, completing it, allowing us to use it as we see fit. However, it is that exact thing that has me curious, no matter how much mana or energy something has, there's a limit, there's always a limit to its use, and I'm quite positive that the Grail is no exception."

Everyone was silent. Floyd had a point, everything does have a limit, and it was quite possible that despite all of energy gathered from the servants would be a lot, it was quite possible that the Grail would still have its limits.

They all pondered on this for a good long moment, trying to decide if whether or not these limits would affect the Grail's capabilities.

Albert kept his eyes on Floyd. He had to admit, he brought up a very interesting point, and it made him, to be honest, it made him slightly nervous, because if the Grail does have its limits and its capabilities are affected because of it, he shivered at a possible and discomforting thought.

John on the other hand was able to keep his composure, despite the possible fact that Grail's powers were limited. He only needed to use it once so he could complete his own goals. At the thought of using it, John spoke up. "Tell me, if the Grail is limited to what it can do, wouldn't that technically mean that it also affects its use?"

Now everyone was nervous. They all set their eyes on John, who continued. "Floyd is right. Nothing can be unlimited, unless there's something out there that's really powerful, but be that as it may, I know that all of the energy and mana gathered for this was not enough to reach an infinite level. Not possible at all, so then tell us this, the Grail was to be used by the three families so their own goals could be achieved, but what do the other masters receive for their assistance?" John brushed his hair back with his hand as he continued with a blank look on his face. "More importantly, if use of the Grail is limited, how many times can it be used? How many people can use it? The three families atleast have their own goals in mind, but if the Grail can only be used a certain number of times, which family would be willing to give up their chances of completing their goals, for the sake of the others?"

Nagato and Zouken exchanged looks, Kazu cast a quick glance towards John. 'He's up to something...' Kazu thought in his head.

Lukaryia, Itou and Mellisa just looked completely confused, they had a slight idea of where they were going with this, but they were still clueless.

Finally, Zelretch spoke. "I'm afraid to say it, but they are right..." Everyone faced him as he continued. "It's true, the Holy Grail does have its limits, even with the energy that would be gathered from the servants, it would still be limited to what it can do. I've been giving it some thought, and I've reached the unfortunate conclusion that only 'one' person may use the Grail." He made sure to emphasize the number one, which, to no surprise, shocked everyone.

"You mean to tell me that we came all the way over here, got ourselves involved in this, only to find out that the Grail can only be used once? And not by all of us?" Itou said in a very angry tone, forcing Lukaryia to take a few steps away from her.

Mellisa turned to Albert. "What's going on Albert?"

Albert folded his arms and sighed. "Basically, everyone is a bit upset because only one person can use the Grail, and considering the three families want to use it for their own goals, it pretty much comes down to a debate on who deserves to use it."

Zouken spoke up. "Clearly the Matou deserve to use it, after all, we assisted in helping gather the necessary materials for this!"

"Don't be a fool Zouken!" Nagato cut in. "If the Grail is going to be used by anyone, it will be the Tohsaka, remember it was us who provided the location necessary to begin the ritual in the first place!"

John then cut into the conversation. "If I may speak my mind? Clearly us seven, the chosen masters, deserve to decide who gets the Grail considering we are pretty much the keys at this point. Until we all summon our servants and offer their energy to the Grail, it's not complete and it shall remain useless until it gathers the required energy. Of course, I also speculate that if the required energy is not gathered in time, then the Grail itself will merely vanish until a time comes for the Ritual to take place again." He turned his back to them. "I already know what needs to be done, so I shall take my leave." He added calmly before exiting through the tunnel.

Floyd looked back at the Grail for a quick a moment before letting out a loud sigh. "He's right, it's up to us who gets it now, we shall debate this amongst ourselves, your opinions don't matter at this point." He said to Zouken and Nagato before leaving.

Lukaryia turned to Itou. "So, I guess we're leaving too then huh?"

Itou nodded. "That's right, come on, maybe it'll be easier to sort this out when we get some fresh air." She said as she and Lukaryia exited next.

Kazu remained as frozen as a statue, almost as if he wasn't aware of what was going on, yet he was. Albert looked at Zouken. "I'll try and find a way to settle this so we are all satisfied, uncle."

Zouken merely frowned, Albert turned and walked away.

Mellisa was still clueless about what was going on and decided to follow Albert and the others, since they all left.

'This is going to turn into one big free for all, and not the friendly type. I so don't have time for this.' Kazu said to himself in his head as he exited last.

Everything was silent now, Zouken and Nagato had their eyes on the tunnel opening where the masters all exited. They then turned and glared at each other, they knew what would happen next.

Zelretch spoke again. "I'm predicting unfortunate outcomes to result in the process of this unexpected process."

"What do you mean?" Zouken asked.

"What I mean is..." Zelretch paused for a moment, he took in a deep breath before continuing. "What I mean is, the seven of them, will summon their servants and decide who gets the Grail, by battling each other."

This caught them by surprise. "Battling each other? Are you sure?" Nagato replied.

Zelretch nodded. "I'm positive. I can already see a large number of events playing out. But they are right, only one of the seven masters can have the Grail, it's a rule from hereon out, no one can deny that claim."

"So what do you think we should do then if only one of them can obtain the Grail?" Zouken asked.

"Simple..." Zelretch started. "We shall remain here and keep watch over the incomplete Grail, I shall send a messenger to inform all three families of the situation. I expect the seven of them to summon their servants later tonight, upon which, a war will begin."

Nagato narrowed his eyes. "A war?"

Zelretch nodded. "Yes...a Holy Grail War."

* * *

**Mount Enzou, Ryuudou Temple**

Exiting from the cave and into the bright outside was the seven chosen magi. Some of them shielded their eyes with their hands as soon as they stepped out into the light, others merely looked away.

"So, this Grail business has become more complicated than I expected it to." John said.

Albert raised a brow. "You expected this to happen?"

"You could say that." John replied.

That calm tone in his voice really annoyed Albert. "And it never occurred to you that it would be a good idea to bring up your curiosity before the Ritual began?"

John turned his back to the Matou family member. "I speak my mind whenever I want. But let's just be clear, in order for us to find out who deserves the Grail, we must face each other."

"Face each other?" Itou said.

Floyd narrowed his eyes. "I see...when you say face, you mean battle. You know that all seven of us have the ability to call forth ancient heroes as our servants, so you're implying that we summon our servants and have them all fight each other to death, until only one master and servant are left standing."

John looked at him with his usual blank stare, Lukaryia spoke next. "And whichever master and servant are left in the end are the ones who deserve the Grail."

"Very perceptive..." John said. "I can see that you all are not as dumb as I thought you to be."

Besides Albert and Kazu, they all glared at him. John began to walk away. "I suggest that we all summon our servants tonight, after which, we do what we can do learn about them, because tomorrow is when the battle for Grail will begin. Prepare yourselves for battle of the Holy Grail."

Itou shook her head. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right, at this point, we have to fight each other in order to decide who gets the Grail, and I know that the Grail can grant anyone's desires. Any one of us could have a great use for it, so could I, so at this point, I'll see the rest of you tomorrow, good luck." She walked away, giving a slight wave of her hand.

Lukaryia shrugged and left also. "I really didn't expect things to turn out this way, but now that I'm involved, there's no turning back, we're all enemies now. Nothing personal of course, but that Grail could do a lot for me, I hope you understand."

Floyd just let out a quiet sigh, lit up a cigar, fixed his sunglasses and left without a word.

Mellisa looked at the ground, still clueless about the whole situation, just then, a slight smile made its way onto her face. "Oh I get it, it's kind of like a game of some sort, well, maybe this will be fun, maybe I can learn a lot from this. I bet Roland is waiting for me at the bottom of the staircase, I better get going before he gets impatient!" She said before running off.

Albert was about to walk off but stopped and faced Kazu. "You've been awfully quiet, in fact, I don't think I've heard you say a word since you got here. What's your opinion on this?"

Kazu walked towards him, as soon as he walked by the Matou family member, he stopped until they were back to back. "I don't care. If I need to summon a servant in order to win this Grail, so be it. If it can grant any desire, I'll take that opportunity, hopefully it'll help me fix my past mistakes."

"I suggest we take a safer course of action here, this could be dangerous, there's no telling what these servants could be capable of." Albert replied.

With a sigh, Kazu walked on. "This is a war now, there's no stopping war. Everyone has decided to fight, and if they die, then it is a fate that they chose for themselves."

Albert looked over his shoulder and watched as Kazu disappeared from his sight. Looking up at the sky, he took in a deep breath before walking on. "A war...a Holy Grail War. Interesting turn of events."

* * *

**Author's Notes: This chapter was a little tricky but I believe I got all down okay. The Ritual has passed and the Grail has appeared, but it is incomplete and requires the souls and energy of seven servants. The servants themselves will finally be summoned next chapter, so that they may all do battle with each other to determine who is really worthy of the Grail.**

**As usual, please Review! Feedback is helpful.**


	4. Chapter 4: Servant

**I'm sort of satisfied with how the story has been going so far. I am completely aware that I missed out a few details of the Grail and such in the last chapter, but the details are for later chapters and whatnot. My mind is focused on a lot of things recently so if I do accidentally miss something else out, please don't hold it against me.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic. Mellisa Einzbern belongs to TresserT, Kazu Tohsaka belongs to Raging Akuma D, Albert Makiri/Matou belongs to Heaven Canceler, Floyd Lantos belongs to TheCiper, Itou Fujii belongs to Unkown Being, John Takuma belongs to AuraLancer, Lukaryia Yagami belongs to Windraider.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Servant**

**Tokyo City, Union Church**

An hour after the Ritual, Hidei Kotomine prepared to leave so he could get a ship straight to Fuyuki City, in order to carry out his plan to obtain the Grail. While it would be more simple to remain in Tokyo City, he knew that he'd have a better chance at overseeing the battles if he were in the very city they were about to take place in.

Upon walking over to the exit, Kazuto Amon materialized before him. "Are things going well?"

"No...I recently had a troubling vision." Hidei said.

Kazuto raised a brow. "Oh?"

Hidei sighed. "It's about the Grail...not long after it appeared...I...I had another vision, and I did not anticipate what I saw."

Silence followed.

The Executor was slightly nervous. They abandoned the Church, they had secretly gone rogue just so they could obtain this Holy Grail and its power, but now another complication had arose? The thought made him shiver a little, he was starting to worry that all of their most recent actions had been for nothing. Taking in a deep breath, Kazuto spoke. "What...what did you see?"

Hidei faced him. "...I saw..."

* * *

**Mount Enzou, Ryuudou Temple Great Cave**

Zouken Matou tried to approach the Holy Grail which continued to sit in the center of the magic circle. He tried several times, but no matter what he did, he couldn't reach it, instead, it was as if there was some sort of invisible barrier that continued to push him back. At first, Nagato attempted to touch it, but he couldn't either, instead, it felt like a heavy wind pushed him away.

Both family heads turned to the Wizard Marshall and asked him to attempt to touch the Grail, but they never received a reply, instead, Zelretch remained still as a statue with his eyes closed.

"Please! Me and Zouken have already tried to touch the Grail but there's some invisible force that's preventing us from doing so! You're the only one who hasn't given it a shot!" Nagato pleaded to Zelretch.

However, the Wizard Marshall remained silent, it almost seemed like he was in some sort of trance. "Didn't you hear us?! You're the only one who can-" Zouken stopped when the Zelretch opened his eyes.

"I can't." Zelretch responded.

Zouken and Nagato exchanged quick glanced before replying. "But why not?" Zouken said in a calmer tone now that Zelretch was paying attention to them.

Zelretch faced both of them. "I started giving it some thought...I don't believe any of us will be able to touch the Grail, I believe it is impossible."

"Impossible? How?! If it's impossible then how do we use it?!" Zouken shouted.

With a sigh, Zelretch continued. "It's not so impossible that we can't use it, it's just that WE simply cannot. Think about it, all of the materials and energy that were gathered for all of this, the insertion of the servant system, do you really believe that would have been suggested without a reason?"

Confused as his words, Nagato and Zouken continued to stare at him. The Wizard Marshall continued. "I have come to the conclusion that the Grail is not for us to touch, but for the ones who are summoned in the same sort of manner as the Grail itself. Only those who fuel the Grail, can touch it, only those who empower the Grail, can obtain it, these are facts that I should have been aware of earlier."

Nagato's eyes widened. "Wait...you don't mean..."

Zelretch nodded. "Yes. Only a Servant can get close to the Grail. Only a Servant can touch it, obtain it. It's not for us or any other normal living being to lay our hands on, no matter how much you excel at magic, there is no spell in existence that would allow you passage through the invisible barriers that prevent us from reaching it."

Zouken let out a silent groan. "Which means, only one of the seven masters have a chance of obtaining it."

"Which brings me to the other situation. I was observing the surroundings outside the great cave while focusing my sight on the masters, I'm afraid that they have resorted to bloodshed to decide who gets the Grail." Zelretch replied.

The word bloodshed got both Nagato and Zouken's attention. Zelretch continued. "They concluded, that since they all have the ability to summon an ancient hero as their servant, they decided to have their servants battle each other to the death, leaving the last master and servant standing as the victors. It is through this battle, that they have decided who will be worthy of taking the Holy Grail."

Nagato was shocked upon hearing of this, whereas Zouken just gave a slight smirk. "Interesting..." He muttered.

"But wait, doesn't the Grail require the souls and energy of seven heroic spirits in order to be complete? If so, then what happens if there is indeed only one master and servant remaining? Surely the servant won't commit suicide in order to complete it, because then there won't be a servant left, and no one will be able to get near it." Nagato said.

Zouken faced him. "It's true that if the seven servants are killed then the Grail will absorb their energy and it will be completed, which raises the question, how does the surviving master use the Grail if they can't touch it and there are no servants remaining?"

The two remained silent for a long moment before Zelretch spoke up. "I believe the answer to this riddle is simple. Now that I've given it some thought, I believe that seven heroic spirits are not required, rather, I think that six is all that it'll take to finish the Grail's completion. Because, when we think about all of the energy and materials that were previously gathered, I think that it more than makes up for an individual servants energy, wouldn't you agree?"

Nagato gave it some thought. "That is true. It would make sense considering the amount of energy that it took to start the process. So only six servants must die then, is that what you're saying?"

Zelretch nodded. "Yes. When the masters summon their servants, they will begin a war with each other, and they will continue to fight until only one master and servant remain, of course, I am unsure of the masters fates. I guess it all comes down to what the servant decides to do with them. Nonetheless, this battle cannot be avoided and it may put other lives at risk, so we must do our best to ensure this battle does not break out into the public. This battle from hereon out will be known as the Holy Grail War, for reasons I'm sure you understand."

Zouken and Nagato faced each other again, they knew what this would mean, they knew that they would need to support their family members, which also meant that they would have to break off the alliance between the three families. Nagato showed signs of unrest at this, while Zouken didn't look disturbed at all by the thought.

"The decision is final. However, just know that the Grail needs time to complete the transfer of energy, if this war ends before its completion, the Grail itself will merely vanish and not reappear for a long time. I shall remain here with the Grail and continue to oversee the transfer, Zouken, Nagato, you two head back to your homes, your family members will need your guidance." Zelretch said before sitting down before the Grail.

The Wizard Marshall told them what they needed to do, and they agreed it was for the best. Zouken and Nagato didn't so much as look at each other when they exited the great cave, leaving Zelretch to his thoughts.

* * *

**Tokyo City, Union Church**

"That is what I saw. Now you see the complications of this situation." Hidei said.

Kazuto fixed his sunglasses and leaned against the wall. "So then, even if we were to kill the last remaining master and servant, the Grail would most likely vanish before we had the chance to even so much as get near it."

Hidei nodded. "Exactly. While six servants are all that it'll take to complete it, the main problem still lies with the remaining master and servant."

"The plan of killing the last servant and master is no longer optional?" Kazuto asked.

"Indeed." Hidei replied.

Kazuto chuckled. "Well, in all honesty Hidei, I don't think I would have been capable of killing a servant anyway. There's no telling what kind of power they possess."

Hidei faced him. "Why do you think I came to you about this? You're the most lethal Executor of the Church, obviously your skills would atleast put you on par with a servant."

"You think too highly of my capabilities, I can only do so much in terms of magic and fighting." Kazuto said before lighting up a cigar. "Anyway, with this sudden revelation, it may foil your plan to obtain the Grail. I guess having our greatest desires granted is no longer an option."

A smirk made its way onto Hidei's face. "Not to worry...I still have a plan."

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Matou Residence**

After the recent events that transpired, Albert paced back and forth, deep in thought, continuously thinking of a way to figure out a solution on how to put an end to the upcoming battle without bloodshed. Of course, while he had no desire to take the life of anyone, he had no idea what was going through the heads of the other masters. For all he knew, some of them were probably planning on killing the others, but he wanted to believe that wasn't the case, all he could do was just hope that things wouldn't turn into a mindless massacre.

He let out a loud sigh and turned to the magic circle that was inscribed onto the floor of his room. "As soon as I begin the incantation, my servant should appear afterwards, the only problem is whether or not my servant is controllable, or a bloodthirsty warrior that will be beyond my control."

There was no way of knowing what kind of servant he would summon, all he did know was that the Grail would find a servant that suited him, despite the fact that it wasn't complete yet, and no matter what kind of servant he got, he knew he would just have to put up with it.

"I guess there's only one way to find out..." He said as he stepped into the middle of the magic circle.

* * *

**Fuyuki City Outskirts, Einzbern Castle**

"Miss Mellisa! The ceremony is ready, it's time for you to begin the summoning!"

Mellisa Eiznbern kept her eyes on the book of alchemy she had in her hands and smiled, she was excited at what sort of ancient hero she would be summoning, she didn't really mind too much about which one she would get. The chance to just meet one was good enough and she failed to conceal her excitement.

After hearing her butler call out to her again, she placed the book down on the table in front of her and rushed out into the corridor. "I'm coming Roland!" She shouted before running towards the direction of the castles chapel.

Upon reaching the chapel, she saw Roland waiting for her, up ahead there was a small magic circle inscribed onto the floor. "So what do I need to do again Roland?" She asked.

Roland took her hand and led her over to the circle. "It's simple young miss, all you need to do is stand in the middle and say the right words."

"That sounds easy." She replied.

Roland raised a brow. "You do remember the words right?"

"Of course I do! It'd be really dumb of me to forget when I have come so far now right?" Mellisa said with a cheerful smile.

"Very well then..." Roland started. "Let's begin young miss."

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence Garden**

Kazu Tohsaka lay down on the soft green grass of the garden and looked up at the now night sky. He had no doubt that everyone was already preparing to summon their own servants, and while he wanted to begin the summoning right now, he was held back by the memories of his fiancée. Clenching his eyes shut, a single tear slid down his face as he remembered his beautiful other, and he cursed at himself because had not cried at her funeral, he accused himself of being guilty for not doing so. All he had to remember her by, was the jade necklace he had around his neck. But now, he wanted nothing more than to forget so he could rid himself of the painful memories that continued to haunt him, the memories that continued to make him suffer mentally and emotionally.

However, after thinking back to the Grail and how it could grant any desire, he realised that he may be able to fix his past mistakes, it was at this thought, that forced him to his feet and towards the magic circle that lay inscribed onto the ground in the large open area of the garden.

After stepping into the middle of the circle, it began to let out a faint glow, which eventually got brighter after he closed his eyes.

Putting his hand out, Kazu spoke. "Heed my words...My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me!"

* * *

Mellisa narrowed her eyes as the glow around her began to get brighter. "My fate is the sword of thy body..."

* * *

"In accordance with vector by the Holy Grail, this unique, live up to if you follow in this sense..." Albert spoke as he was engulfed by the circles light.

* * *

John opened his eyes and remained expressionless as he spoke. "If you seek that which I desire, come forth and become my blade, come forth and become my shield." Just then, a sound caught his attention, he looked over his shoulder and saw a group of men approaching him. "Hm."

* * *

"Come forth! Floyd shouted as the light covered him whole.

* * *

Itou clenched her fist and spoke her last words as she was swallowed up by the light. "I summon you!"

* * *

"And so..." Lukaryia started. "I call you now!" The light expanded and engulfed him.

* * *

**Tokyo City Docks**

Hidei could feel several growing presences from a very far away distance. He chuckled a little and made his way behind a small structure, thankfully, no one was present. "Do you feel it Kazuto?"

Kazuto materialized behind him, with a smug look on his face. "So much energy, how can anyone not feel it?"

"Hm...so the servants have appeared...proceed with caution Kazuto...but if you somehow get seen by the masters, kill them and their servants." Hidei said.

With a chuckle, Kazuto replied. "We will see soon enough if either of them is worthy of the Grail, or if it is all but a mere fluke." He said before dematerializing.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Matou Residence**

When the light exploded, Albert used his arms to shield his face, he took in a few heavy breaths while trying to avoid inhaling the smoke that followed. After a few long seconds went by, the smoke started to slowly dissipate, enough for Albert to lower his arms.

After quickly rubbing his eyes, he set his recovering sight on the silhouette behind the smoke. He was speechless, as were the two maids that stood at his door, it was as if their breaths were caught in their throats, unable to process what just happened.

It wasn't until the silhouette moved that they were able to breath again. "AH! It's good to stretch!" A voice said, clearly coming from the one behind the smoke. Finally, the smoke faded, showing the face of the man that stood before them.

Albert just stared in complete awe. The man looked to be in his late forties. He wore what appeared to be samurai styled armour, which let off a golden glow that shined like a star. The armour itself was a complete golden colour with tinges of red and he wore a large, bulky kabuto which seemed to resemble the light of the sun itself. He had blue eyes and dark hair which they could barely make out due to his head being covered by the golden kabuto, he also looked muscular and lean but at the same time he looked quite flexible.

With a cheerful grin on his face, the man in golden samurai armour brushed a piece of his hair away with his thumb and spoke. "So, I wouldn't doubt for a second that you are my master yes?"

Albert couldn't speak, he was still in awe at the mans presence.

"Umm..." The man just continued to stare at him, now he just felt embarrassed.

Finally, Albert found the ability to speak again. "Oh...um, yes. I...I'm...I'm your master, forgive me."

Confusion stayed on the mans face but eventually he grinned cheerfully again. "Excellent! This shall be most intriguing!"

Albert looked at his servant and started to think, which class was he? Considering his samurai attire, he was assuming him to be of the Saber class, but he didn't see a sword or a katana on him. He decided to bring it up. "If you don't mind me asking, which class are you?"

The samurai raised a brow in confusion but the cheerful look on his face remained. "My class? Isn't it obvious master? Just by looking at you, I would expect you to figure that out immediately."

When Albert shook his head, the samurai continued. "Oh boy...I'm stuck with a clueless master." Before Albert could even get offended, the samurai raised his hand. "Alright then! I know exactly what to do!"

After raising his open hand above his head, something long materialized within his palm. He grabbed a hold of it and skilfully twirled it around before posing with it. It appeared to be a very long triple staff. "Maybe this will give you a hint master!"

True enough, it sort of gave him a hint, a staff, he was about to assume he was a Caster but quickly retracted the thought due to how ridiculous it would be if a samurai were a magic wielding servant. Just then, his eyes were quickly blinded by a small light. Albert turned to the source of the light, when he looked closer, he finally realised what it was. There were small blades attached to the end of both sides of the long staff, it was there, that he found his answer. "I see...then I guess I am to call you...Lancer."

"CORRECT!" Lancer said as his long staff spear quickly dematerialized. "Now that we have gotten introductions out of the way, let's get right down to business! The Holy Grail!"

Albert was taken aback by his servants immediate knowledge of the situation. Lancer noticed this and smirked. "I see you did not expect me to know what events have transpired, am I right? Well don't fret master, after all, servants are all endowed with knowledge and such of todays civilization and whatnot. I already know what is going on and we merely need to act in our own way to obtain the Grail, yes?"

'Wow.' Albert thought. 'For a servant that acts as cheerful as him, he seems to be quite intelligent.'

Lancer sat down on Albert's bed, then he lay down. "Ah! This is SO COMFORTABLE! Better than what we used to sleep in!"

Albert turned to his two maids. "Could you please leave us, I must talk with him, alone."

The maids nodded and left the room. Albert turned to Lancer again, he was curious as to the identity of this servant, and he was thinking about bringing the question up, but for now he refrained from doing so, he would take everything one step at a time. After all, he was sure that there was something else, something else underneath that cheery personality.

* * *

**Fuyuki City Outskirts, Einzbern Castle Chapel**

"Miss Mellisa! Are you okay?!" Roland asked as he helped the young Einzbern girl away from the smoke.

Mellisa merely looked at him and turned back to the smoke. Roland did the same and gasped when he saw something emerging from the smoke. "What the...is that...is that really..." He couldn't find the words he was looking for to describe the sight before him.

Something slowly started to emerge, something furry. As soon as the smoke fully dissipated however, Mellisa and Roland were able to make out the 'servant' that stood before them. "Is that a..." Roland once again couldn't find the words he was looking for.

In front of them, stood, a Coyote?

The Coyote was small and its fur was brown, it stared at the two with big yellow eyes.

Finally, Mellisa jumped out of Roland's arms and towards the Coyote. "OH MY GOSH! IT'S SO CUTE! ROLAND CAN WE KEEP IT?!" She asked out loud as she hugged it tightly.

Roland was still speechless. It was a Coyote. Where was the servant? There was no way the incantation went wrong, he was there himself to ensure everything went fine. Yet, somehow, instead of a servant, they got a Coyote. "What is this?"

Mellisa looked into the Coyote's eyes and smiled. "Come on boy! Follow me!" She said as she rushed out of the chapel.

Roland remained as still as a statue, trying to figure out what went wrong.

The Coyote followed Mellisa out of the chapel, but not before looking back at Roland.

Just then, Roland heard a snicker behind him. He turned to the chapel entrance only to see the Coyote staring at him with a blank look. He turned his back to it, only to hear another snicker. He turned to see the Coyote again, still staring at him with a blank look. After turning around once more, he heard a snicker again, he quickly glanced around only to see that the Coyote was no longer there. "What's going on here?" He asked himself. "I must be going crazy."

As the butler was about to walk away, he instead found himself slipping on something and fell to the floor. "Argh! My head!" He growled as sat up with his hands covering his head. After rubbing his head, he looked around and saw that there was a banana peel next to his foot. "What the..." He picked up the banana peel and got to his feet. Now he was really confused. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence Garden**

The summoning was complete, Kazu found himself lying face down on the ground as the explosion of light was powerful enough to knock him down. If he had known that would of happened, he would have prepared himself, nonetheless, he wasn't hurt so it didn't really matter at this point. However, despite not really being in pain, his whole body suddenly felt numb, he could barely move a muscle and it seemed harder to breath.

He only hoped that his incantation worked and that he summoned a powerful servant to fight for him. When the thought of servants crossed his mind, he managed to find the strength to move his head slightly so he could see the smoke that floated above where the magic circle was.

At the moment he couldn't see anything because the smoke was so thick, but as it started to fade away, he noticed a person standing behind it. However, the person wasted no time and immediately moved.

Kazu's eyes widened slightly, he felt his breath caught in his throat as they emerged from the smoke, slowly approaching him. It was only then that he was able to identify them.

As soon as the person reached him, they looked down at him, while Kazu still unable to lift himself off of the ground, merely looked up. It was a beautiful young woman who looked possibly the same age as him. She had short black hair and beautiful brown eyes that could force anyone to never look away from. She had light skin and had a white bandana tied around her head. She was wearing a short dark blue kimono, along with sandals, she also wore shin and thigh guards and there was a soft cloth wrapped around her chest.

Kazu slowly set his eyes on the unique looking katana that was attached to her waist, but he didn't look for long as he found himself once again staring back into her eyes.

'She...she's a Servant?' He said to himself in his head.

The woman continued to look down at him with an expressionless look, there was no emotion on her face at all as she stared at him, which made it very difficult for him to figure out what she was like. Despite that though, she was summoned due to his efforts so Kazu knew without a doubt that she was his servant, but even knowing that, why did he seem slightly afraid?

Maybe because this was the very first time, after all, the Grail and the Servants was something no one had ever thought of up until Justeaze, Zouken and Nagato. Either way, Kazu continued to try and find the strength to get back to his feet, but his whole body was still slightly numb due to the summoning, maybe it was also the summoning itself that may have drained him. Atleast he knew he didn't mess up, but the other question still remained, who was she? It was said that the servants were supposed to be heroes from ancient times, yet she looked just like a normal woman, minus the shin and thigh guards along with the katana of course.

Finally, the woman spoke. "I ask of you...are you my master?"

That voice, it was so soft, so calm and soothing yet at the same time he could hear but a fragment of ferocity behind it. Kazu was finally able to speak as he once again looked up into her eyes. "Who...are you?" It was the first question he had and the first he wanted an answer for.

She kept the same expressionless look on her face as she spoke again. "I am Saber...you summoned me, yes?"

He couldn't reply to her, her voice was just as beautiful, so much so that he was in awe.

"And you? You are my master, aren't you?" Saber asked.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Three Servants have been introduced so far, two of which whose Classes have been revealed. The other Servants will be revealed within the next chapter, I didn't want to make this chapter too long so I kept the word count around the usual. I can't help but feel like I'm missing something but I don't know what, I'll probably find out as I go along though. That said, I didn't put too much into the Summoning Incantation as the incantation itself is different in both Fate Stay Night and Fate Zero, so I decided to keep it plain and simple, I think the series already has enough complexity as it is. Now I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing Zelretch for the rest of the story except maybe the last chapter, I don't know about Nagato and Zouken however. Since I've already went into the process of explaining how everything does become a war, the rest of the story will just focus around the masters and their servants and how some grow attached to each other.**

**Once again, please Review! Feedback is always appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5: Class

**The length of time in the last four chapters was shorter than this, I apologize for taking so long with this one. I recently went through a very depressing event that left me emotionally pained for a while, still am, but I can't let anything delay my writing. The chapter centers on the Masters and Servants.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic. Mellisa Einzbern belongs to TresserT, Kazu Tohsaka belongs to Raging Akuma D, Albert Makiri/Matou belongs to Heaven Canceler, Floyd Lantos belongs to TheCiper, Itou Fujii belongs to Unkown Being, John Takuma belongs to AuraLancer, Lukaryia Yagami belongs to Windraider.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Class**

**Fuyuki City, Alley**

John lowered his hand and halted the summoning to face the group of men who approached him. They were dressed in casual street clothes, which immediately told him that they were nothing but a bunch of street punks. 'Idiots...they better pray that their sudden interference doesn't mess up the summoning once I'm done with it, otherwise there will be a reckoning.' John said to himself in his head.

"You're trespassing on our territory pal..." One of the men said.

Another in a black hoody spoke up. "Yeah...and we've been having a really bad day today, so why don't you get lost before we take our frustrations out on you."

John sighed and remained expressionless as he spoke back. "You idiots have no idea what you've just done."

"What was that?!" Another man said.

"I was in the middle of a very important process that required my full and complete attention." John continued. "Your unexpected arrival here just forced me to stop the incantation, in doing so, I can't expect it to work now that it has been interfered with. You made a mistake sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

The man in the black hoody clenched his fists. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about and I don't care! YOU made a mistake when you decided to stroll around on our territory, and you sure as hell made a mistake when you decided to perform some weird light show on someone else's grounds! Now you're gonna get your head smashed in!"

Without hesitation, the punk in the black hoody rushed forward and quickly threw his fist towards John's face. But instead of landing a clean hit, his fist went right through John's head, almost as if he was a ghost. "What the...!"

John immediately disappeared and, upon hearing a cough, the four men turned to see him standing behind them. "How the hell did he get there?!"

"Illusion magic...something I greatly excel at. It's amazing isn't it?" John said with what could be considered a confident tone, but his face showed no emotion even when he said this.

One of the other men jumped at him with his fist ready, but instead of using magic, John sidestepped it this time. Afterwards, John straightened his hand and delivered a chop to the mans head, sending him immediately to the ground growling in pain. "Don't take me as one of those typical weaklings who don't look like they can defend themselves because I am more than capable of ripping you all to shreds right now if wanted to." John said before slightly narrowing his eyes at the magic circle, which began to glow again.

The other three men suddenly pulled out what appeared to be switch knives and grinned as they slowly made their way towards John.

John however remained where he stood and braced himself for a tougher fight. 'Hmph, only cowards use weapons against one person.'

But before any move could be made, the magic circle behind the men exploded, a bright light shot up and it looked as if something followed.

John was slightly surprised by this, even more when he and the others set their eyes on the shadowy figure that landed in front of them.

The figure crouched in the shadows of the alley, glaring at the men with glowing red eyes as they stared in shock. Then, the figure spoke in a tone that sounded like a mix between cold and cheerful. "Kill...or spare..." Where the words that came from the girl. John knew it was a female servant just by the sound of the voice and by looking at her lean figure.

Everyone watched as the girl got to her feet. After a long minute went by, she spoke again. "Kill."

She was quick, as the next thing John saw was blood flying everywhere.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Riverside Park**

Floyd watched on with interest as he saw his own Servant emerging from the smoke. This whole thing was definitely a first for everyone, especially for him, and he himself was glad that he was able to take part in it all, even if things didn't go as he expected them to.

Despite the fact that he would have to fight in order to obtain the Grail fairly, he didn't mind much as he was expecting a lot from his servant.

The Servant approached him, he had red hair and calm blue eyes. He was wearing a white robe with a light red cloak and was holding what appeared to be a lyre.

Floyd raised a brow, curious as to the capabilities of a servant who didn't match the description of a warrior.

The servant slowly pulled his fingers back on the strings of his lyre, letting out a calm and soothing tune. "Hello there...you are my master yes?"

He was now frozen still, this servant sounded so calm and kind, it was as if he was the complete opposite of a warrior. Floyd was able to recover from his shock though and replied. "I...yes...yes I am. What about you?" He asked as he fixed his sunglasses.

With a gentle smile on his face, the servant replied. "You may call me Caster my good sir."

'Caster huh?' Floyd thought. From the knowledge he gathered during the time he spent waiting for the ritual, supposedly, servants placed within the Caster class were adept in magecraft and excelled greatly at many types of magic. However, he also found out that other servants would most likely have some sort of defence against magic, which once again led him to doubt his servants abilities. But then, magic was a powerful thing, and there was no telling of whether or not the other servants indeed had a defence against it, all he could do was just wait and see for himself if his servant was as powerful as he hoped him to be. On the bright side, he knew Caster would make up for his own lack of magic, considering Caster servants have their own mana supply.

Caster looked at the river and smiled. "Ah...the moon and the stars make the river shine beautifully. Wouldn't you agree master?" He asked as he turned back to Floyd.

"Uh...right." Floyd replied.

Placing his fingers on the strings of his lyre, Caster continued. "Beautiful enough for a wonderful melody. Would you like for me to play you a tune master?"

Floyd remained silent for a few long seconds. He sat down on a nearby bench and replied. "Do as you like..." He lit up a cigar before letting himself drift off into his thoughts.

Caster spoke as he started playing a peaceful tune. "Smoking is quite bad for you master. If you wish keep your health intact, it would be in your best interest to do away with it."

'Great. We've only known each other for a minute and already he's acting like my mother.' Floyd said to himself in his head.

"Please don't take it the wrong way master. I am merely voicing my own opinion aswell as a truthful fact, I'm only worried about your own well-being." Caster added.

Floyd knew his servant probably wouldn't drop the subject, so he took the cigar out of his mouth and threw it away. Caster smiled a little. "Littering isn't nice master..."

'For crying out loud, THIS is the kind of servant I got?' Floyd thought.

Caster spoke again. "Perhaps we should discuss the Holy Grail while we are here master."

Floyd faced his servant with a surprised expression. 'He knows about the Holy Grail just like that?' He was surprised by this, but instead of keeping things to himself in his head, he asked. "So, you know all the details then? You know about how we have to fight other masters and servants?"

His servant nodded. "Yes master. I know everything that needs be to known. All that needs to be discussed is our approach of the matter."

Suddenly, Caster's smile lowered and he narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong Caster?" Floyd asked.

Caster slowly looked around. "I sense a presence nearby. A presence with malicious intent."

Upon looking around and seeing nothing, Floyd replied. "I don't see anything."

"Hmm..." Caster closed his eyes. "There's no mistaking it, there's someone else here."

Just as he was about to say something, Caster continued. "Wait...that's strange...the presence is suddenly is gone, almost as if it never existed."

"Relax Caster, it was probably just some mugger who decided to think twice about mugging two guys instead of one." Floyd said.

Caster nodded and the same calm smile reappeared on his face. "I understand. It's quite late out here, I think we should go and get some rest."

Floyd got to his feet. "Very well, let's head back to the house I'm currently renting."

Caster walked over to Floyd. After exchanging nods, the two turned to leave, but before Floyd could take a step, his servants voice stopped him. "Master?"

Floyd turned back to his servant. "What is it?" He asked.

"Don't forget to put your litter in the garbage." Caster said pointing to the cigar on the ground.

Looking at the cigar for a long few seconds, Floyd then turned back to Caster, who smiled cheerfully at him.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Itou's House**

Itou sat down on her bed and watched as her servant paced back and forth while examining several objects in the bedroom. She couldn't help but continuously stare in awe. Her servant wore gold armour with red designs and a red scarf that was wrapped around her neck, she also had piercing red eyes unlike the common humans, blue, green and brown colours and long blonde hair that went midway down her back.

After getting frustrated at the never-ending silence, Itou spoke. "Hey Rider, you do know what you're here for right?"

Itou's servant, Rider, slowly turned and locked eyes with her master before giving a reply. "I am completely aware as I have been endowed with the necessary knowledge. You needn't worry, whatever trivial challenges await, I shall do away with them in mere seconds."

'Pretty overconfident.' Itou thought before speaking up again. "Well, I think we should probably start things off in the morning. I'm too tired right now to go out and look for the other masters and their servants."

Rider raised a brow and gave her a disappointing look. "No one commands a king. It's pathetic that you would even allow sleep to get the better of you."

Itou clenched her fist and felt her blood boiling, but she managed to quickly take control of her anger and calmed down, she knew very well that she couldn't afford for her relationship with her servant to have a rocky start. "Everyone needs to sleep Rider."

"Hmph." Rider turned her back to her master. "A king sleeps whenever she deems It fit. Go ahead and let yourself drift off into slumber, I shall remain awake while I plan my course of action against the other servants."

"You mean OUR course of action." Itou said as she went into a different room to change.

Rider looked in a mirror and checked her long blonde hair as she replied. "If you can show that you're worthy of following me then I shall permit you to. Until then though, having you around me while I'm facing my enemy will only slow me down, and possibly lead to my downfall if you end up doing something stupid."

When Itou came back, wearing her pajamas, she glared at Rider. "Hey! I know exactly what I need to do! You just worry about doing your part, and I'll do mine! Don't make me use a command seal because I will sacrifice one if I have to in order to teach you a lesson!"

Chuckling at that remark, Rider replied. "I know how precious those command seals are, and I highly doubt you would waste one just for something so trivial. Calm yourself 'master', I will not make a move without you knowing, as I do need you to supply me with mana. As long as you can make yourself useful in that department, I will handle the rest."

'Grr...she really knows how to get under your skin. Well, as long as she's willing to cooperate with me, that's fine.' Itou thought as she lay down in her bed and pulled the covers over her. As she closed her eyes, she spoke again. "Hey Rider?"

Rider rolled her eyes. "What now? I hope you're not planning on asking me to tuck you in."

"Shut up!" Itou said in a loud tone. "I just wanted to ask who you are. I mean, from everything that I learned when I became a part of this, servants are supposed to be heroes from ancient times. If so, who are you?"

Rider sat down on the large soft chair in the corner of the room and crossed her legs as she looked at the book in her hands. "If you can't tell who I am just by looking at me then you don't deserve to know."

"Fine. Be that way." Itou muttered quietly as she started drifting off into sleep.

Rider sent a quick glance towards her master before she started reading the book. 'Strong spirit that one has...hopefully she can make good use of it.'

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Lukaryia's Apartment**

Lukaryia sat himself down on his large soft chair and tried to think of something to do that would keep him occupied for the remainder of the day, though, no matter what he thought, he continuously found himself setting his eyes back on the servant that sat on the chair at the table reading a book.

She introduced herself as Archer. She was a tall tanned skin woman in her early twenties, she had long black hair which was tied into a ponytail. She also had forest green eyes and a white diamond shape mark over her forehead. She was wearing a bronze breast plate and a bronze metallic skirt with a set of leather gloves and boots.

Judging by her armour, Lukaryia was assuming she was from a very old time.

"What is it master?" Archer asked, still reading her book.

Even though she wasn't facing him, she knew somehow that he was looking at her. Lukaryia snapped out of his thoughts and replied. "Oh um...I was just wondering, when do you think we should make a move on the other masters and servants?"

Archer closed her eyes and let out a sigh before facing her master. "You are the master here right? That's something you should be thinking about, I'm just here to follow your commands and help you obtain the Grail."

'Good point.' Lukaryia thought.

Archer looked around the apartment room and continued. "You know, this isn't really the best place to discuss our strategies. Anyone could listen in."

Lukaryia shrugged. "Sorry. A family I came across here took me in some time ago. I asked them if they could provide a place for me to stay that was away from them, this was the only place they had. I only did that so they wouldn't get involved in this, I'd hate to see them hurt."

"A family took you in? I hope I'm not asking about a touchy subject but did something happen to your real family?" Archer asked.

With a sigh, Lukaryia replied. "Nothing happened to them, they just didn't care for me. They tried to execute me as punishment for stealing the notes on their research. Thankfully I learned enough magic that allowed me to escape. Quite frankly, considering how they treated me, I couldn't care less about them anymore." He then chuckled a little. "Wow, almost let myself rant on there."

Archer raised a brow. "I wouldn't mind knowing more about you master, it would actually be the best way to start things off here. I could benefit from knowing your history, as it would allow me to summarize a full personal opinion of you. At the moment, I don't see you as combat worthy, care to tell me about yourself and prove me wrong?"

"Sorry, I'd rather not, maybe another time Archer." Lukaryia replied before turning back to a book he just recently picked up. It was a book filled with various humorous stories. "Good, I could use a good laugh right now."

"I apologize master but if you are disturbed then I would suggest you get some sleep. It's very late anyway, if you want to get a fresh start tomorrow, it would be in your best interest to get some sleep." Archer said.

Lukuryia gave her a confused look. "I think it'd be better idea if we just spend the whole of tomorrow planning on what to do. If we're all supposed to fight each other, I'd like to try and find a way to win this without having to kill anyone."

"What?" Archer glared at him. Lukaryia slightly pulled himself away at her intimidating look. "You do realise that servants must be killed in order for us to get closer to the Grail right? And do you even know what kind of power servants have at their disposal?"

Lukaryia merely shook his head slightly. "I didn't learn much about the servants, or rather, I didn't really pay much attention."

"Listen master. You want to win the Holy Grail in this battle between masters and servants, and us servants are to fight each other to the death, with the last one remaining as the victor. But ask yourself this. How difficult do you think it'll be for me to defeat one servant, let alone six?" Archer asked.

"Very difficult?" Lukaryia replied.

Archer nodded. "Right. Now here's the next question. Servants can only remain in this world as long as their master supply them with mana. Now, what do you think would happen if a servant had no master to receive mana from?"

After thinking about it for a short minute, Lukaryia replied. "The servant would eventually just dematerialize and disappear?"

"Exactly." Archer said. "Thus eliminating them from the war too. Now here's the most important question master. If you wanted to eliminate an enemy servant, what would be the easiest way to do it?"

It took him a long minute to figure that one out. But eventually it hit him, and he was quite shocked at the answer. "You...kill the master?"

Once again, Archer nodded. "Exactly. Without their master, a servant would have nothing to draw mana from. Of course, even without a master, the servant could just go around killing people and convert their souls and minds into energy, allowing them to remain a bit longer."

'Wow, I did not know that.' Lukaryia thought.

Archer continued. "So if you somehow happen to run out of mana, you can have me kill some people and take it from them. Of course, the very thought of doing such a thing disgusts me. You'd have to use a command seal if you wanted me to do so."

Lukaryia wasted no time replying to that. "Whoa Archer. I don't like the thought of killing people anymore than you do, especially just for mana. Relax, I'd never make you do something if you didn't want to do it."

Archer's eyes widened a little as this statement had caught her off guard. Lukaryia continued. "I promise, I will never use a command seal to force you to do something if you don't want to do it. And I would never resort to something so brutal and savage."

Hearing this, Archer couldn't help but smile a little. Lukaryia put his book down on the table and walked over to his bed. After stretching his arms and letting out a quiet yawn, he let himself fall onto the bed.

Archer merely watched as he rolled onto his back and clasped his hands over his chest. "In the morning, we'll get up early and go out to get some lunch. While we're at it, I'll tell you more about myself if you still want to know Archer."

"Of course..." Archer replied. "That sounds fun. Maybe I'll even tell you a little about myself in return, master." She said now smiling.

Upon hearing those words, he smiled a little. Lukaryia closed his eyes and let out a quiet reply. "I'd like that." He said before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Alley**

For the first time in his life since he was a kid, John was shocked, struck by fear. The expression was so clear on his face, that he did everything he could to hide it. Although his efforts at hiding his fear were only temporary, it would take an expert to see the fragment of emotion in his eyes.

He watched as the servant stood in the shadows, draining some sort of energy from the dead bodies of the men she just killed. As soon as she was done, she turned and faced him. "That was fun." She said in a cheery tone.

John remained where he stood, trying his best to remain un-intimidated.

The servant finally stepped out of the shadows, revealing her face. Any feeling of fear or intimidation immediately just went away the moment he made out her figure.

She had the look of a rather pretty college girl with a lean figure, looking no older than possibly thirty years old. She had long ghostly white hair and her eyes were definitely not that of the common human. Her left pupil was completely black, while her right pupil was completely white.

The next thing that confused him was her fashion, which he knew without a doubt was not that of a warrior from an ancient time. She wore a full white t-shirt with a small shadow of a dove on the upper right, along with white shorts.

John's patience was either near or at its limit when he saw she was wearing an armband that said 'Bask in the awesomeness.'

'Is this some kind of joke?" John thought.

The girl merely looked at him with a cheerful smile and spoke. "So, are you my master?"

After regaining his composure, John replied. "I...I am."

"Wonderful! I can tell we're going to get along great!" She said in a very loud and cheerful tone.

'What is this? Not only does she look nothing like that of warrior, but she isn't even armed, she isn't even carrying so much as a knife let alone a sword!' John thought to himself. 'Also, that intimidating aura I felt from her, it's gone aswell, almost as if it wasn't even there, something is wrong here. Something is clearly wrong.'

Curious as to what he was thinking about, the girl spoke. "What's on your mind master?"

John broke out of his thoughts and faced her. "I'm trying to figure out why I have not received a servant that matches the background of an ancient hero and instead received a girl who looks like she just came from a wild party."

Although he was expecting her to suddenly burst out in tears, John was surprised when she just continued to smile cheerfully at him. "Ah...I see, you're confused about my appearance. Truth be told, I'm confused just as much as you are."

John raised a brow. "Confused? Do you even know your purpose here servant? Do you even know about the Holy Grail?"

The girl placed a finger on her lower lip as she started to think. "Hmm...Holy Grail...the name rings a bell. Although I'm going to need some time before I remember anything. Haha!"

'Oh god.' Were the only words that went through John's mind. After slowly pacing back and forth for a short minute, he sent a glare towards the bodies of the men that were killed by the girl. "Death was too good for them." He said in an almost angry tone.

John leaned against the wall and sighed. 'I know it, somehow, their interference messed up the summoning. Dammit! If I could, I'd bring them back just so I could kill them again!' He thought.

After letting a long moment of silence pass, he looked back at the girl, who was humming to herself. 'Well, I will just have to make due with what I've got. Besides, considering what I've just seen here, she may actually be more powerful than I'm led to believe.'

"Something on your mind?" The girl asked.

John shook his head and replied. "Why don't you atleast tell me your name servant."

The girl smiled once again. "Oh sure! My name is-" She stopped.

Silence followed now. John waited for a few long seconds before speaking up. "Yes?"

"Haha! I see now! You wish to know my name! If that's the case, I'll refrain from telling you until you tell me a bit about yourself master! How does that sound?" She said in a very loud and cheerful tone.

John clenched his fists. At this point he just wanted to break his neck, but pushed the thought aside as he knew he still stood a decent chance against the other masters and servants.

"Fine then. Let's go, I've checked myself into a nearby hotel, we'll talk more in the morning. Tonight has taken a major toll on me." John said as he walked out into the empty street.

The girl laughed and followed him down the street. "Good, a nice walk is a great way to start off a brilliant friendship!"

John sighed. After letting a few minutes pass, he spoke up. "Atleast give me something to call you by. I'd rather not continuously call you servant for obvious reasons."

After giving it some thought, the girl replied. "Sorry, can't help you." She said with a smile.

Once again, he could feel the anger rising up inside him but he kept calm. After walking on a little longer, he could spot the hotel just up ahead. He let out a loud sigh. "I'll just call you Sunny." He said before increasing his pace. Sunny laughed and did the same.

* * *

**Ship to Fuyuki City**

Hidei sat in silence as he listened to the waves of the ocean outside. He sat in a small room inside at the very back of the ship where no one would be able to see him.

It was only after everyone on the ship had finally gone to sleep, that Kazuto materialized inside his room. "I explored several parts of the city." Kazuto said, quiet enough for only Hidei to hear him.

"What did you find?" Hidei replied.

Kazuto turned and looked out the small opening in Hidei's quarters where he could see the night sky and the ocean. "All servants are indeed here now. I managed to find out most of their classes and which servant belongs to which master. Thankfully I was able to remain undetected at the same time."

Hidei faced him. "Go on."

"So far...it would appear that the master from the Tohsaka family, Kazu Tohsaka, has control of a Saber. That gives him a distinct advantage considering what we know of the Saber class. As for the young woman called Itou, she has a Rider at her command, and I'm not exactly sure what the capabilities of that servant are."

"I see..." Hidei said with a nod. "Continue."

Kazuto fixed his sunglasses before looking back out the opening. "Apparently, the boy named Lukaryia has an Archer by his side. I wouldn't doubt for a second that his servant will prove to be a most difficult opponent for the rest of them. That brings me to Caster..."

After the sudden silence that followed, Hidei spoke. "What about Caster?"

Kazuto frowned. "He's good, I'll give him that much. He almost detected me so I had to teleport out of there before he was able to find me. So I wasn't able to learn much. All I do know is that the guy called Floyd is his master."

"That's fine. That's all we really need to know at the moment." Hidei said. "That leaves..."

The executor continued for him. "Albert Matou, Mellisa Einzbern and obviously the one called John Takuma. I still have yet to find out which of the remaining servants belong to each of them."

Hidei closed his eyes and sat down on the small bed at the side of his quarters. "Which ones are left again?"

Kazuto also leaned back on his seat and replied. "There's Lancer, the third of the three knight classes, Assassin and..."

"And?" Hidei said.

"And..." Kazuto paused for a few long seconds before finishing. "And Berserker."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Things are going to get interesting now. I have to say though, this chapter was a pain, considering the fact that my laptop died on me at various times when I hadn't saved my progress. I apologize for the longer wait, besides the laptop, I was dealing with personal things that needed my complete attention and so I couldn't find the time to work on it. Hope you enjoyed it. Now just about all classes have been revealed, what about the ones that are left? Well, you may find your answer in the next chapter.**

**As usual, please Review!**


	6. Chapter 6: Plans

**I'm glad the story is being well received so far, it makes me happy to know that I'm not writing it for nothing. I can agree with some people that various things in the last chapter were confusing and left a few unanswered questions, but I guarantee you, all questions will be answered eventually so please don't be quick to jump to conclusions.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic. Mellisa Einzbern belongs to TresserT, Kazu Tohsaka belongs to Raging Akuma D, Albert Makiri/Matou belongs to Heaven Canceler, Floyd Lantos belongs to TheCiper, Itou Fujii belongs to Unkown Being, John Takuma belongs to AuraLancer, Lukaryia Yagami belongs to Windraider.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Plans**

**Fuyuki City, Matou Residence**

A lot of thoughts were currently going through Albert's head. Who was his servant exactly? What was he capable of? Was he taking the fight for the Grail seriously? Why was he cooking in the kitchen?

Yes. His servant, Lancer, a supposed warrior, a samurai to be more precise, was cooking in the kitchen. What made it even more slightly annoying was that he just stood there at the kitchen door, and every maid that walked by him gave him a look that made him feel like a weirdo. It was beyond embarrassing.

Albert glanced back into the kitchen and could hear Lancer humming to himself as he cut something up. 'Why is he spending time cooking in the kitchen? We should be focusing on what to do about the other servants and how to defeat them! This is a waste of time!' He thought.

Lancer stopped and looked over his shoulder at Albert. "Don't worry master! I'll be done soon! You just sit yourself down in the dining room, I'll be with you shortly!"

Cursing silently, Albert decided to head for the dining room. It didn't take long for him to notice however that several maids were rushing down the halls. One of them stopped and told him that his uncle Zouken had returned from the Temple, much to his joy.

Not wasting any time, Albert rushed to the main hall of the residence and stood at the top of the stairs. Entering through the main entrance was indeed his uncle.

"Welcome back master Zouken!"

Zouken merely walked on, almost as if he didn't know they were there. But for a quick moment, Albert saw Zouken look up at him, and he swore he saw a look of anger and sorrow in his eyes before he walked on.

Deciding that now wasn't the best time to talk to him, Albert made his way into the dining room at the end of the hallway and sat himself down at the front of the long table.

"Dammit. Uncle Zouken is too heartbroken over the fact that Justeaze is gone, and he acts as if I'm not capable of carrying out this task that was handed to me. And to make matters worse, I have a servant who seems to be more interested in cooking meals and flirting with women than fighting for the Grail that can grant the desire of anyone who obtains it. I'm starting to lose hope already, I don't think I'll be able to get the Grail under these conditions." Albert said to himself as he lay his head down on the table.

A few long minutes of silence went by, but it was nice and quiet, something Albert did not mind.

However, just like all peace and quiet, eventually it has to come to an end, and this time was no different when he heard someone entering through the door. "Oops! Almost spilled the soup!"

'Lancer.' Albert said to himself in his head. He prepared himself as he had now decided he was going to voice his discomfort at his servant's lack of seriousness.

Upon sitting up, Albert was about to speak but was surprised to see all of the hot and delicious looking dishes that Lancer was placing on the table before him. "Here we go master! A nice warm feast suitable for a king! This will make our discussion on our course of action all the more better!"

'Discussion on their course of action?' Albert was starting to think he jumped to conclusions too early.

Lancer finished placing all of the dishes in front of his master. He then placed the rest of the dishes on the opposite side of the table from where Albert was sitting, after which Lancer moved the food trolley away and sat down on the other side where he and his master could face each other.

"What is all of this Lancer?" Albert asked.

Lancer smiled cheerfully. "Why, it is our meal of course! If we are going to discuss how we're going to win the Holy Grail, would you not discuss it while having a delicious meal?"

There was no denying he had a point there, and Albert was feeling a little hungry now that he mentioned it. "I suppose. I guess I judged you too early."

"Judged?" Lancer replied with a confused look.

"It's nothing!" Albert quickly added before picking up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks. Upon eating it, he was surprised at the taste, it was delicious, so delicious in fact that delicious wasn't a good enough word to describe just how good it was. "Wow! This is great!"

Lancer chuckled a little as he scratched the back of his head. He barely looked any different without his helmet, and his hair was tied up just like all samurai had their hair tied. "Seriously Lancer, this food is delicious! How are you such a good cook?"

After letting the compliment sink in, the servant replied. "Well, back during my days, when I was, alive, of course, my wife was the best cook in all of japan! So much so, that I asked her to show me how to cook the way she does, so that whenever she was away, I could cook my meals myself and still taste her brilliant cooking! Ah, it was to die for."

"Your wife's ingredients then?" Albert asked.

Lancer nodded. "Correct master. If only I could see her cute little face again and tell her...how much I love...her cooking." He closed his eyes and smiled.

Albert refrained from bringing up any possible subjects that would sadden him and instead brought up the main topic. "So, what is our supposed course of action Lancer?"

After slurping up some noodles from his bowl, Lancer replied. "I don't know. I thought you'd have one."

'Oh god.' Albert thought, his eyes widened a little at his servants words.

Suddenly, Lancer burst out in laughter. "Hahaha! I'm just kidding master! Haha! Ah the look on your face there was PRICELESS!"

Albert just narrowed his eyes at his servant as he continued to laugh. "Yeah, laugh it up." He said.

"Haha! Oh...oh I'm so sorry master, I just couldn't resist!" Lancer said as he breathed heavily, still grinning cheerfully. "But don't worry master, I thought of a few ideas while I was preparing our meal."

Albert leaned back against his chair and continued to eat the pieces of chicken as he looked at his servant. "So, what are your ideas?"

Lancer was about to slurp up some more noodles but Albert put his hand out, stopping him. "Please don't do that, it's...just please don't do that."

Chuckling a little at his words, Lancer put the bowl of noodles down and used chopsticks to eat them instead. "Have it your way. In any case, the first thing we should think about is this. Which servant is the biggest threat?"

All seven masters learned everything they needed to know about the servants and topics related to them, as such, that question wasn't too difficult as Albert replied immediately. "Saber."

Lancer nodded. "I would be more than willing to agree with that answer master, however, in this particular case, we must think carefully. Now, I'm sure all masters and servants know that the Saber class is the most balanced in terms of all skills, making it slightly more powerful than all of the other classes. However, other classes have their own traits that exceed that of the Saber class. Take Caster for example, the Caster class clearly has more mana than all other servant classes combined, imagine what so much mana could be used for. If they used their abilities right, the Archer class servant could defeat any of the others, as their use of ranged weaponry gives them a very large advantage over all other servants."

Albert thought for long minute as he continued to eat more of his food. "So...you're saying then that Saber is not the biggest threat?"

"I'm saying that Saber is indeed a big threat. But not the biggest threat. If you want to succeed, you must first eliminate the strongest of all servants, and which class has more strength than any other?" Lancer asked.

"Berserker." The name of the class itself gave it away to Albert even if he didn't know.

Lancer snapped his fingers and nodded. "Exactly. Now, if I were to defeat Berserker somehow, which I admit would most likely take a miracle, then I would prove to be the strongest servant afterwards. Combine that with all of my other skills, I would have a pretty good advantage over the rest of them. But defeating a Berserker I'm afraid is near impossible."

"How so?" Albert asked.

After eating some more of his noodles, Lancer replied. "Because a Berserker lives up to their very class, thus, as much as I hate to admit it, I would only get thrashed if I were to face one by myself. Although, I am confident I could put up a good fight, but I don't think I could win alone."

Albert clasped his hands together and rested his forehead against them. "So, Berserker is the biggest threat. Saber possibly following behind."

Lancer continued. "Of course, the most important thing we should know right now, is that we need to know what kind of opposition we are up against."

"You're saying we need to see the enemy servants for ourselves so we can judge which are the biggest threats and which are the least?" Albert asked.

"Indeed." Lancer said. "And I have devised the perfect plan to carry out this task." He then faced his master and continued to smile at him. "Although master, to carry out this plan, you'd have to be willing to sacrifice one of your command seals in order for it to work just the way I planned it."

Sacrifice a command seal? Now he really wanted to know what it was that Lancer was planning, as it must have been a very well thought-out plan if it required him to use up one of his three treasured command seals.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Hotel, John's Room**

"So...in short, the Holy Grail can grant anyone's wish and in order to obtain it, I must fight other servants and defeat them until I am the only one left?"

John slowly paced back and forth and tried to keep his frustration under control, which he was doing a good job of. He had explained his servants purpose here, the servants and the command seals aswell as the Holy Grail itself and everything related to them several times before she finally understood it all. "Yes. Only a servant can actually put their hands on the Grail, as such, it would be in your best interest to avoid injury. I hope you see how serious I am now, and understand why I am a bit disappointed." He said. In truth though, he was completely disappointed.

Sunny lay on the large bed at the end of the room and stretched her arms. "I completely understand master! If it makes you feel better, I shall do my utmost best to win you this Grail!"

Although she didn't exactly look like she was capable of fighting other servants, John was atleast satisfied that she was now taking her duty as a servant more seriously. Of course, he would have to put his magic to use and create equipment for her to fight with, otherwise she wouldn't last more than a minute.

"I'm going to use my magic and create a weapon and armour for you to use when the time comes to fight. But for now, I am quite tired and I need my rest." He said before getting into the other bed.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep however, Sunny spoke up again in her usual cheerful tone. "Would you like me to go and kill all of the people in this hotel? That way you can have the whole place to yourself, with no one to interrupt you while you're busy!"

John opened his eyes and slowly turned to her. "No. Because first off, no one will be able to trouble me all the way up here, I've made sure of that. Second, if you killed everyone in this hotel, it would only attract unwanted attention, mainly the other masters and servants, and you are not ready to fight just yet. If we're going to defeat our enemies, we must be patient, bide our time and observe. I have no doubt that the other masters are already making plans of their own, we shall keep a low profile for now and wait."

"Aw...that's no fun." Sunny said before laying back down.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Hmm...maybe if I find out what the other servants classes are, then I'll be able to find out what yours is in the process."

At those words, Sunny smiled cheerfully and replied. "Just out of curiosity master, what class do you think I am?"

This question surprised him a little. In all honesty, he had no idea what class she was at the moment, but the dark aura that surrounded her when she brutally killed those street punks put him under the impression that she was of the assassin class, it would be the most logical assumption considering how quick she is. Knowing she wouldn't drop the subject however, he decided to satisfy her with an answer. "Assassin."

"Really? Haha! That's strange because I don't feel like an assassin!" She laughed.

John sighed and closed his eyes. "You asked for my thoughts on what class you are and I gave you an answer, now get to sleep, servant."

Giggling a little at his last words before he went to sleep, Sunny followed his command and went under the bed sheets. "This is quite comfortable." She muttered before letting herself fall asleep.

* * *

**Einzbern Forest**

It was clearly past her bedtime and it had been dark for atleast a good couple of hours now. But Mellisa acted almost as if it was morning as she walked around the forest, with her Coyote by her side.

Deciding she had walked around enough, she sat down under a tree and looked at the coyote, who merely stared back with a complete blank expression. "You know, apparently some sort of big game is going on. Six others are summoning ancient heroes as their, umm, servants I think they were called. I was picked to summon one myself you know."

Coyote just stared at her with a blank look.

"Supposedly we're supposed to beat each other in a contest of some sort, and the winner gets the Holy Grail that Justeaze summoned. I miss her already." Mellisa said. "Apparently, there are seven titles, atleast I think that's the right word. Saber, Archer, umm...Lancer. Then there was Caster I think. After that was Berserker or something. Rider and the last one was called Assassin I think. From what I can remember, that's what we're supposed to call the servants by. But I got you instead!" She added with a cheerful tone.

Coyote just stared at her with a blank look.

Mellisa laughed. "This is going to be so much fun! Not only do I get to do something I've never done before, but I got to meet some really cool people! AND I got a new pet!"

Suddenly, Mellisa was caught off guard when she saw the Coyote place its paw over its eyes, almost like it was face-palming. "What's wrong? Do you want to play hide and seek?" She asked, assuming it was covering its eyes for that very reason.

The surprises didn't stop there however. The Coyote let off a bright glow, until eventually it was swallowed up by a bright light.

Mellisa covered her eyes as the light got brighter, but it didn't last long for within a few seconds, it died down and disappeared. After removing her hands from her eyes, she was beyond shocked when she found herself staring into the eyes of her butler, Roland. "R-Roland?! How...how did you find me?!"

Roland just raised a brow. "Are you seriously so naive that you can't tell what I am master?"

'Master? Roland never calls me that. What's going on?' Mellisa thought.

"Please...take your time, it's not as if I have anything better to do at the moment." Roland said.

Mellisa just continued to look at him, confusion written across her face. The Coyote was standing before her a minute ago and suddenly it disappeared in a flash of light and Roland was standing in its place. "Where did the Coyote go Roland?"

Face-palming at her words, Roland replied. "You mean this Coyote?" Her butler disappeared in a flash of light, which blinded her for a few long seconds before it died down, standing in Roland's place was the Coyote.

"There you are!" Mellisa shouted before grabbing the coyote, pulling it into a tight hug.

However, the Coyote pulled itself out of the hug and just gave her a surprised look. "Is something wrong?" Mellisa asked.

Clearly the Coyote had gotten a bit frustrated at her now and once again it started to disappear in a flash of light. As soon as the light cleared, Roland stood in the Coyote's place again. "Roland? How did you get here like that?"

Roland sighed. "I am not your butler master! I am the Coyote you have been speaking to the whole time! I'm merely using my shape-shifting powers to transform into your butler so I can communicate with you!"

Mellisa looked at him, and judging by her look, 'Roland' assumed she still had no idea what he was talking about. "Jeez...this is gonna take some explaining." He muttered. "Ok then...do you know what is going on so far?"

With a finger on her chin, Mellisa replied. "Umm...we're here to find out who wins the game and who gets the Grail?"

Roland nodded. "Yes, the Holy Grail yes. But for your information, it is NOT a game, it is a WAR!"

"A war?" Mellisa's eyes widened a little.

"Yes!" Roland said. "A war! You know what a war is don't you? Blood? Guts? Decapitation? Death? Swords impaling your skull?"

The young member of the Einzbern family shivered at those last few words. Roland continued. "You were supposed to summon a servant to fight on your behalf against six other servants. While you did summon me in the process, you mistook me for a just a mere coyote, I am NOT a mere coyote. I AM an actual Servant."

Mellisa took a minute to let his words sink in. "So...you mean...I have to fight and kill Albert Matou, Kazu Tohsaka and those others that were present at the ritual?"

Roland shrugged. "The Servants are the ones who are supposed to do the fighting, but killing the masters is a much more easier way of getting rid of them. Killing the masters overall is basically optional."

"Oh I see now! So all I have to do is defeat the other six servants basically and I win the Holy Grail?" Mellisa said.

"More or less." Roland replied. "Now clearly you seem to have, slight, knowledge on the classes. Do you know which one I am?"

Mellisa laughed. "Of course I know which one you are! You're a Caster aren't you?"

Roland was silent.

"When I think about what you just said, supposedly, Caster's use magic quite a lot, so it would be safe to assume that's what you are, with your power to shape-shift and all." Mellisa said.

Finally, Roland spoke up. "It's getting late and it's most definitely past your bedtime I'm sure. Why don't we discuss this in the morning." He said before transforming back into a Coyote.

Mellisa smiled as she quickly walked back towards the castle. "Ok then! Maybe we can play a game of 'I Spy' while we're heading back!"

Coyote merely growled in annoyance before increasing his pace.

"Hey wait! Don't leave me alone! There could be coyote's out here! And not the nice kind!"

* * *

**Fuyuki City Docks**

Hours after the long trip, Hidei Kotomine exited the ship and entered into the large crowded docks of the city. Looking around for a short minute, he seated himself in a small area away from the large crowd where no one would notice him.

As he waited in his seat, he looked out at the ocean and watched as the sun started rise in the distance.

It wasn't long before the executor himself materialized next to him. "How are things so far Kazuto?"

Kazuto folded his arms and sighed. "I found another location where a servant was summoned. Unfortunately, all I found were dead bodies, street thugs by the look of them. One of the masters clearly didn't waste their time getting started."

Hidei closed his eyes and thought for a moment as Kazuto continued. "I made a call and informed the public of the bodies. At the very least, even street thugs like them don't deserve to rot in such a place. This way they will get a proper burial."

"I don't care about the fate of some idiotic street thugs Kazuto." Hidei replied. "All I care about is obtaining the Holy Grail. I want to know where the masters and their servants are and what they are capable of."

The executor watched as Hidei got off his seat and walked away. Kazuto fixed his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes as Hidei disappeared into the crowd of people. "Just what is it that you want the Grail for Hidei? What is the wish you want granted?" He looked at his hand and clenched it into a fist. "Then again...what would I wish for? What could I possibly want?"

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence, Kazu's room**

Morning had come. That much was obvious when Kazu could see the light despite the fact that his eyes were closed. He felt comfortable in his bed, but suddenly he remembered the events that transpired last night, forcing him to sit up and look around his room.

"What the..." He muttered. He knew he wasn't in his room last night, rather, he was in the garden, and somehow he just passed out. Then it hit him as he also remembered the woman from last night who appeared after the summoning process. Saber, she said her name was.

Looking around the room again, clearly she wasn't there. Kazu jumped out of his bed and exited his room. He walked down the hallway and towards the living room at the end where he could see a faint light under the door.

Upon reaching the door, he slowly opened it. Upon entering, he set his eyes on the two maids that were cleaning up, who also returned his look. "Ah, master Kazu, you're up. Do you need anything?"

Kazu yawned a little before replying. "What happened last night?"

One of the maids spoke up. "A young woman carried you into the house and asked us to take you to your room. We did, as we were quite worried something may have happened to you. We are glad to see that you are well."

"Do you know where she is?" Kazu asked.

The maid nodded. "The last time I saw her, she was heading towards the library."

Kazu wasted no time in making for the library, ignoring the maids words of wanting to know what he wanted for breakfast. Upon reaching the library, he rushed in, and much to his relief, there she was, the same as he saw her last night.

Saber was seated on a large soft chair at the end of the room with a small table in front of her. There was a cup of tea on the table and he knew it was just recently made due to the steam rising from it.

She was reading a book, but her eyes moved up and towards Kazu. "I see you are awake master." She said with a plain expression.

Kazu made his way over to her and tried to speak, but he couldn't find the words he wanted to say right now. Saber continued to look at him, her expression remained blank, so it was literally impossible to tell if she was happy, upset, angry or anything for that matter. "Is something wrong master?"

"No..." He finally said. "Nothing's wrong."

Saber nodded and turned back to her book. "That's good to know."

Kazu couldn't help but stare in awe at her. He was amazed by her, yet at the same time shocked, confused as to how something so beautiful yet fragile looking could be a servant, a warrior who is supposed to fight for him against other servants.

"Umm..." No matter what he thought, Kazu couldn't find any words to say to her.

Once again, Saber faced him. "You wish to say something?"

Although he could say yes, he'd be lying, as he honestly could not think of anything to say. Or maybe, he did know what he wanted to say, and he just didn't know which words to say it with. Instead, he sat himself down on the chair on the opposite side of the table facing Saber and closed his eyes. "No...I'm just thinking right now."

Saber merely nodded before returning to her book.

'What's wrong with me?! Why can't I say anything to my own servant?!' He asked himself in his head. Maybe it was the powerful aura he felt from her when she first appeared. Maybe she was easy to anger and he didn't want to say anything offensive. All he knew was that he felt a sharp pain in his chest, but at the same time he didn't feel any pain. It was difficult to explain, but every time he set his eyes on her, he felt at ease. Her presence itself brought up a sense of inner peace, that, and other feelings that he had not felt for a good long time.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Had to think a little more hard on this one. I can definitely say that I had fun writing Lancer and Albert. John himself has so far showed a bit of antagonism, and Mellisa finally figures out the Coyote is actually a servant, but has yet to figure out his identity and class. Kazu will of course finally be able to converse with Saber in the next chapter, as for when the servants will engage each other, well, I can assure you, Lancer already has it planned out, he just needs his master to agree to the use of a command seal.**

**Again, please Review, the feedback is appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7: Knowledge

**I appreciate the assistance in pointing out errors. To address the comments on the setting and timeline, I completely agree, it was actually only after I completed chapter 6 and started reading through that I realised the flaws. A clearly stupid mistake on my part and I apologize. I took the time and immediately edited parts in past chapters, everything that I could find that made it seem too modern has been changed around a bit to appropriately match the setting and timeline.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Fate Series belongs to Type-Moon, I only own the non-canon plot of this fic. Mellisa Einzbern belongs to TresserT, Kazu Tohsaka belongs to Raging Akuma D, Albert Makiri/Matou belongs to Heaven Canceler, Floyd Lantos belongs to TheCiper, Itou Fujii belongs to Unkown Being, John Takuma belongs to AuraLancer, Lukaryia Yagami belongs to Windraider.**

**Summary: Forgotten are the events of the first Grail Wars. While lost in memory, they remain immortal in History. The First Grail War is recalled.**

**The First Grail War  
By: Librius**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Knowledge**

**Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Residence, Library**

Kazu continued to sit in silence as he pondered on his first course of action. It was early in the morning, and no doubt the other masters and servants were already out and about planning their moves.

Even so, if any of them were to attempt to attack him while he was home, he would know. The only thing he had to be worried about was how powerful the other servants were.

At the thought of the servants, his eyes slowly drifted towards Saber, who sat on the opposite side of the table, reading an old book. He couldn't push the thoughts out of his head, how could someone who looked so fragile be a warrior? From time to time, he always made sure to never judge a book by its cover, just because she may not look like she's able to fight, doesn't mean she can't.

Finally, Kazu had decided to start conversation, he knew he needed to know more about his servant and what she was capable of, as cooperation was an important thing, and they would probably be able to get along easier if they know more about each other.

"Umm..." As soon as he attempted to speak, Saber was already looking at him. "So, your name's Saber right?"

Saber replied without hesitation. "You may call me Saber, yes."

"Right." Kazu replied.

Normally Saber would have immediately went back to her book, but this time curiosity got the better of her. "You don't speak much master. Is something wrong?"

With her asking the question, it was much easier to speak. "No...no nothing's wrong. I'm just a little, confused. This whole thing is kind of a first for me, I guess I'm still trying to adapt."

Saber nodded and, for the first time, smiled slightly. "I understand master. Please, don't be afraid to speak your mind, if you have any questions for me, you're welcome to ask whenever you wish."

Those words made him feel a little more easier. "Thanks. I guess my first question then is, who are you?"

"I told you master. I am Saber." She replied.

Kazu shook his head. "No I mean...it was said that servants are heroes and famous warriors from the past. I meant to ask, which one are you?"

Saber closed her eyes for a moment as if she was trying to think of a reply. "I'm afraid that's one question I can't answer master."

"Why not?" Kazu replied.

"Simple..." Saber faced him. "It's better to be cautious by keeping my identity to myself rather than telling you at the moment. The reason for this is because I don't want to risk the chance of you accidentally letting it slip to an enemy. Please don't take it the wrong way."

Kazu nodded. "It's ok...I understand." He knew she had a good point. He couldn't take the chance of knowing her identity and accidentally letting it slip to the enemy, or worse, there's the possible chance that an enemy servant would have the ability to read minds, that would be a nightmare. But one thing was for sure, her clothing and her katana clearly told him that she was from an old time in Japan. That brought the number of possibilities down a little, but he refrained from bringing it up.

"Well master...we have yet to discuss the Holy Grail. Shall we converse on the subject?" Saber asked.

"Of course." Kazu said.

Saber then placed her book down on the table and fully faced him. "Now, before we do get on that topic, I think it's only right that I inform you that I am more than capable of clashing swords with any servant."

Her words caught him by surprise, Saber could see the confusion on his face and continued. "I know what you've been thinking master, I could tell just by the look on your face. You think that because of my appearance, because I am a woman, that I am not capable of fighting against other servants. I will let you know that you can put those thoughts to rest, I am more than capable of facing off against any servant. So please don't take my appearance lightly."

Kazu scratched the back of his head, it was as if she read his mind. "I admit, I was thinking that. Sorry."

Saber gave him a slight smile. "It's quite alright. I will tell you though, back in my days, sometimes, women made better warriors than men."

"I'm sure." Kazu merely replied.

"Now, on the subject of the Grail, is there anything in particular that you'd like to discuss?" Saber asked.

Kazu shrugged. "Well, I can't really think of anything that I'd like to know. Of course, I am curious as to what kind of abilities you possess."

Saber chuckled a little. "I think, that's something that would be best saved for when I encounter an enemy servant."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Kazu replied. "Why don't we go out for a walk while we're on the subject? I feel like stepping outside for a bit."

"By your orders master." Saber replied as she got to her feet.

"Wait!" Kazu quickly said, getting his servants attention. "One more thing."

Saber raised a brow at him. "What is it master?"

Kazu stood up and folded his arms. "You don't have to call me master you know. Just call me Kazu."

"But..." Saber was about to protest but Kazu spoke over her.

"It just seems a little strange having someone call me master. Please, just call me by my actual name from now on, ok?" Kazu said.

Although he was indeed her master, if it was something he was asking of her, then she would obey. "Very well, Kazu."

* * *

**Fuyuki City Outskirts, Einzbern Castle**

"I think I see the full picture now."

Mellisa and her coyote looked up at Roland as he was deep in thought. "So...umm, Roland, can I go outside now?"

Roland looked at the coyote. "I know you can understand me. If miss Mellisa says you can shape-shift, I want to see it for myself to confirm my suspicions."

Coyote looked at Mellisa, who merely nodded at him with a smile. He was engulfed in a flash light, and as it faded, Roland stood in the coyote's place, or rather, another Roland.

Roland sighed. "I see. Well then this confirms my suspicions. Although I would have appreciated it if you transformed into something other than me."

The other Roland sighed. "I see. Well then this confirms my suspicions. Although I would have appreciated it if you transformed into something other than me."

"Please don't copy what I say." Roland replied.

The other Roland raised a brow. "Please don't copy what I say."

"Stop it."

"Stop it."

"ENOUGH!"

"ENOUGH!"

Mellisa giggled as the other Roland continued to annoy the real Roland. "Ok that's enough, please don't annoy Roland, Assassin." She said with a chuckle.

Roland looked at Mellisa, eyes widened. "Assassin?!"

Mellisa nodded. "Yep! That's what he said to call him."

"I see...Assassin eh?" Roland said as he looked back at the other him. "So, I'm guessing that your coyote form is your actual appearance?"

Assassin was about to copy what he said again but Mellisa spoke up before he could do so. "Please answer his questions Assassin."

Rolling his eyes, the shape-shifting servant nodded. "Yes...my coyote form is my actual form."

"And why is that exactly?" Roland asked.

Assassin raised a brow. "That's like asking someone why they were born. I can't answer that question."

"Fair enough..." Roland said as he turned back to Mellisa. "Miss Mellisa, if you are going to go to the city today, make sure Assassin goes with you. Make sure he never leaves your side."

"Don't worry Roland! I'll be perfectly fine! Let's go Assassin!" Mellisa said out loud as she ran down the stairs.

Assassin was about to follow but was stopped by Roland. "Make sure nothing happens to the young miss."

The servant rolled his eyes and nodded. "I know I know, jeez." He said before transforming back into his coyote form. He gave Roland a blank stare before rushing after Mellisa.

Roland took in a deep breath and turned to leave, but suddenly, he found himself falling to the floor. After recovering from the hard landing, he sat up and saw a banana peel next to his foot. "Ok, that's already getting old."

Assassin rushed outside and saw Mellisa up ahead in the forest. After sprinting over to her, she walked on, with him by her side. "So, what did Roland say?"

No reply came, Assassin merely looked at her. "Oh! That's right, you can't talk in that form." She started to thinking to herself. "Well then...do you think you can transform into a normal person like Roland?"

Assassin continued to look at her, but eventually, he turned away and shape-shifted again.

Mellisa stopped to see what he shape-shifted into. He transformed into a tall charming young man, he also looked American and he had brown eyes and long brown hair which went slightly past his neck. He wore brown moccasins, black leather pants and a sleeved reddish-brown tunic.

"Wow! That's a nice look!" Mellisa said in her usual cheerful tone.

Assassin rolled his eyes. "I'm sure. Since we're going to be wandering about in the city, I'll need to blend in. This is the best I got."

"Oh don't worry! You look great! Very charming in fact!" Mellisa replied.

With a sigh, Assassin walked on. "Whatever you say Melly."

Mellisa walked by his side and smiled up at him. "What are you smiling at?" He asked.

"Oh nothing. I'm just glad to have someone new to talk to. And a pet too! Even if they're the same!" Mellisa replied.

Assassin raised a brow. "Pet? I don't think so. I'm just your servant, summoned here to help you win the Holy Grail."

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it..." Mellisa said. "The servants are supposed to be heroes and warriors from a long time ago. But, you said you're just a coyote. It's got me thinking, just who exactly are you?"

"I can't answer that."

Mellisa gave him a confused look. "Huh? Why not?"

Assassin clasped his hands behind his head and smirked. "Because...one, that's something I don't feel like talking about, not right now anyway. Two, your stupidity is astounding, so much so that you'd no doubt let the information of my identity slip to our enemies. No thanks, I'd rather keep my identity to myself for a while. Maybe after we beat all of the other servants, I'll tell you."

"But that's not fair! I'm supposed to be your master! You're supposed to listen to what I say!" Mellisa said out loud.

Assassin gave her a smug grin. "And oh my, what a wonderful job you've done so far."

"You think so? Well, thanks." Mellisa said with a giggle.

The servant looked at her, brow raised. "I didn't mean that as a-"

"Alright then! Let's go and find those other servants!" Mellisa shouted in a very confident tone before running off towards the direction of the city.

Assassin just stared in surprise, wondering what just happened. Eventually he chuckled. "Hehe...so this is my master eh? This might just prove to be entertaining after all." He said calmly before running after his master, who happened to be surprisingly fast for her age.

* * *

**Fuyuki City Streets**

Lukaryia slowly walked down the crowded streets of the city, currently pondering on his first move. Since his servant was of the Archer class, he knew it would be more reasonable to just have Archer keep an eye out from a high vantage point where no one would see her. With her ranged weaponry, Lukaryia knew that Archer would be more than capable of launching a surprise attack and in doing so, her chances of taking down a servant quickly would be rather high.

However, he had a hunch, something in his head told him that it would be best to wait until he has seen the opposing servants for himself before making a move.

"What are you thinking master?"

Lukaryia kept walking, knowing who the voice belonged to. "Just trying to think of a place that we can stop at for a bit."

Archer was by his side but could not be seen, this was because she was in spirit form, which allowed her to remain unseen and reserve mana. "I must say though master, structures in this time are far more advanced than what we had back in my time."

"There's actually something I've been meaning to bring up Archer, maybe we should stop at that park over there." He said before increasing his pace.

Thankfully, as they reached the small park, it was empty. "Good, no one should be able to hear us here."

"What's wrong master?" Archer asked.

Lukaryia sat down on a bench and took an apple out of his pocket. "I'm a little nervous about something. When we do start fighting against the other servants, what happens if we end up fighting where people can see us?"

Archer's tone clearly told him she was confused. "I don't understand your meaning master."

"I'm talking about fighting in front of everyone. Can we really take the risk that we'll fight against other masters and servants when there's a whole crowd of people around to witness it? I don't think that's a good thing." Lukaryia explained.

"Ah, I see, you're worried that other peoples lives will be at risk if they're nearby while the servants are battling each other." Archer replied.

Lukaryia nodded. "Exactly, that's why Archer, I'd like to refrain from fighting during daytime. If we want to avoid hurting people, it would be a good idea if we waited until night to start our battle."

"I understand master." Archer said in a calm tone. "I shall refrain from fighting at all times except night."

"Thank you." Lukaryia said as he started to eat his apple.

Just as things were beginning to get nice and quiet, a loud voice shouted in his ear. "HEY LUKARYIA!"

Not only was it loud, but it gave him a massive scare, as he found himself jumping forward and onto the grass.

"Wow, you're really alert today aren't you?"

Lukaryia raised a brow upon identifying the young woman. It was Itou, another one of the seven masters. "Itou? What are you doing here?"

Itou walked around the bench and sat down on it. "Oh I was just taking a stroll around the city, saw you sitting here all by yourself so I decided to see what you were up to. Umm, what are you up to?"

The younger master brushed the grass off of him and slowly walked over to her. "I was having a nice peaceful snack, then you showed up and..." He looked at the apple which was now in the dirt. "...ruined it."

"Oh...sorry about!" Itou replied scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

Lukaryia looked at her curiously and then began to look around the area. If Itou was here, then surely her servant was aswell, and not knowing what kind of servant she had, only meant that a fight could possibly break out.

"What are you doing?" Itou asked, confusion written across her face.

Unable to locate any other servant, Lukaryia decided to bring the subject up. "Itou...you're one of the seven masters right? So where's your servant?"

Itou frowned, which confused the younger master a little. "Oh don't even bring her up! She's such a...a..."

"Say no more. I think I already get the picture." Lukaryia replied as he sat down next to her. Atleast his thoughts were confirmed. If Itou was talking about her servant as if they weren't here, then clearly her servant was nowhere nearby. And, judging by the annoyed tone she had when she spoke of her servant, he immediately came to the conclusion that Itou's servant was probably a rebellious type. On the topic of servants, he had just remembered, Archer was also right next to them.

It also didn't take a genius to remember what Archer said.

_"Listen master. You want to win the Holy Grail in this battle between masters and servants, and us servants are to fight each other to the death, with the last one remaining as the victor. But ask yourself this. How difficult do you think it'll be for me to defeat one servant, let alone six?" Archer asked._

_"Very difficult?" Lukaryia replied._

_Archer nodded. "Right. Now here's the next question. Servants can only remain in this world as long as their master supply them with mana. Now, what do you think would happen if a servant had no master to receive mana from?"_

_After thinking about it for a short minute, Lukaryia replied. "The servant would eventually just dematerialize and disappear?"_

_"Exactly." Archer said. "Thus eliminating them from the war too. Now here's the most important question master. If you wanted to eliminate an enemy servant, what would be the easiest way to do it?"_

_It took him a long minute to figure that one out. But eventually it hit him, and he was quite shocked at the answer. "You...kill the master?"_

_Once again, Archer nodded. "Exactly. Without their master, a servant would have nothing to draw mana from. Of course, even without a master, the servant could just go around killing people and convert their souls and minds into energy, allowing them to remain a bit longer."_

Lukaryia slowly turned back to Itou was deep in thought. It was true, if he had Archer kill her right now, then her servant would eventually vanish because they would have nothing to supply them with mana. It would mean that one master and servant would already be dealt with, lowering the odds and bringing him a step closer to victory.

But he held back. He remembered he had already told Archer that he wanted to wait until night time to begin the fight against the servants. Even though he had a golden opportunity to increase his chances of winning, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Itou didn't have her servant with her, and she had been friendly to him ever since they arrived in Fuyuki City, she even looked out for him. At the very least, he decided not to make an attempt on her life and instead wait until night time so their servants could fight fair.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Tavern**

Floyd sat in complete silence as he listened to the cheers of the men and women that crowded the tavern. He let out a low sigh and turned his attention to the corner of the area.

Caster was sitting in front of everyone, playing a large piano. He was currently wearing current day clothing in order to blend in, a green shirt with a red vest, jeans and black shoes.

And blend in he did. He did a great job at attracting all of the women to his 'beautiful' music. The only reason he was in the tavern was because he needed another place to think, and he honestly could not think of a better place than this. Of course, even though a lot of people were making a lot of noise, Caster's music shut them all up.

After the servant had finished his next song, he stood up and gave a polite bow to everyone. "Thank you for taking the time to listen to my melodies. I am grateful." He said in a very calm and generous tone.

Other men started arguing over who would get to play the piano next as Caster casually approached his master, unaware of the women who continued to stare at him in awe.

"Master, how are you feeling?" Caster asked.

Floyd lay down on the table and sighed. "Tired. I seriously didn't get enough sleep last night..."

Upon sitting down, Caster smiled as he set his eyes on the cigar in Floyd's hand. "Now master, what did I tell you last night about smoking?"

'Gimme a break.' Floyd thought. Caster took the cigar out of Floyd's hand and threw it onto another table, allowing someone else to smoke it instead. He slowly sat up and was about to take a drink of ale, but instead, Floyd just gave Caster a blank stare as the servant gently took the glass of ale from his masters hand and placed on the far side of the table.

"Alcohol isn't good for your system master. It can do some strange things to your body." Caster said with a cheerful smile.

'Great. I can't drink. I can't smoke. What CAN I do?' Floyd wondered, clearly expressing slight frustration at Caster for not allowing him to smoke and drink.

"Excuse us mister!"

Floyd and Caster turned to a group of young women who were gathered around them. "Could you perhaps play us another one of your amazing songs?!" One asked cheerfully.

The girls squealed as Caster smiled at them. "But of course. I'd be more than happy to play a melody for a group of beautiful young women like yourselves."

Once again, the girls all squealed with excitement as they crowded around Caster and Floyd.

Floyd sighed. "Caste-" He stopped, realising the girls would hear him. "Umm...Mike...don't you think we should be focusing on more important things?"

Caster took his lyre out from under the table and gently pressed his fingers against the strings. "Of course. But we can't go about our business without first giving these young women one last melody."

Floyd narrowed his eyes a little, uncomfortable in his current position with all of the girls squeezing against him as they sat in silence, waiting for Caster to play.

Just as Caster began to play, Floyd saw something at the corner of his eye. He turned and looked out the window next to him. He was surprised to see a familiar face walking by the tavern. "John...Takuma."

He knew Caster would stop playing his lyre if he felt the powerful presence of a servant nearby, but that wasn't the case. Caster continued to play, unaware of the other masters presence, which only meant that John's servant probably wasn't with him.

'But why? Surely he's able to tell Caster is right here. And for all he knows, the other servants could be nearby too, yet he doesn't have his own with him. Why not? What is he up to?'

* * *

**Matou Residence**

"Master Zouken doesn't wish to be disturbed at the moment, master Albert." One of the maids said as they prevented Albert from entering Zouken's room.

Albert just gave the maid a confused look but decided to forget about his uncle for now. "Ok, I understand. Just be sure to let him know that I've gone out to look for the other servants."

"I'll inform him as soon as he comes out of his room."

"Thank you." Albert replied before moving on down the hallway.

After reaching the entrance, he found Lancer waiting by the doors. Lancer was dressed in a man's kimono, it was yellow and brown, probably to reflect the colour of his armour, and his hair was tied back as usual. "So did you get to tell your uncle that we'd be going out fishing?"

Albert sighed. "No. He's still in his room, obviously he's still dwelling on Justeaze...a part of me can't blame him considering what she tried to do for all of us."

Upon stepping outside, Albert covered his eyes a little at the blinding sunlight. "Well...atleast it's a nice day."

Lancer stretched his arms as they walked out of the residence. "Yep! I slept like a baby last night! And now I feel completely refreshed!"

"Refreshed? We didn't even do anything last night, what did we do that required us to get refreshed?" Albert asked.

The servant chuckled as he clasped his hands behind his head. "Nothing of course. Unless you count having a nice delicious hot meal as an activity, or that we discussed our course of action for tonight."

Albert pointed to him. "I've been meaning to get back to you on that Lancer. Are you absolutely sure that this plan is a good idea? Will the use of a command seal really be necessary?"

Lancer nodded. "Of course master! I give you my word that my plan will work perfectly. If we time it just right, I guarantee you master, we will immediately be in the lead in terms of knowledge and information on the enemy servants, and at the same time, I will remain unknown to them, which means that they will be unable to plan against us."

Albert nodded also. "I suppose you do have a good point. I trust your plan Lancer and I am willing to go through it. However, if by some unlucky chance that it doesn't go the way we wanted it then-"

"It will." Lancer cut in.

Albert faced him. "What?"

Lancer gave him a reassuring smile. "My plan 'will' work master, no need to worry about it going sour."

"Umm...ok?" Albert said. "I hope that confidence of yours of keeps us on the right track."

Lancer scratched his head as they found themselves walking down the quiet street. "Awfully quiet. Where is everybody?"

"It's probably still too early in the morning. Everyone is probably still asleep right now." Albert replied.

Lancer shrugged. "True. Back in my day, things were barely ever this quiet. I am glad to see that Japan has evolved into such a peaceful place over the years."

"Well, if you take into consideration the amount of criminals that run free along with the murders that happen on various occasions, Japan still has its own share of trouble from time to time." Albert explained. "And then there's those Dead Apostles that are rumoured to be wandering around. Those monsters cause more trouble than the average criminal."

"Sounds to me like Japan needs someone to clean it up. Wouldn't you say?" Lancer replied.

Albert nodded. "Perhaps. Don't get me wrong, I'd use the power of the Grail to do so, but my family means more to me than anything else, they come first."

"I completely understand master. I was kinda in the same situation back during my time. I wanted to protect my family yet at the same time I knew I had to fight against my enemies. So it's completely understandable why you'd think that way." Lancer said.

Silence followed for a short minute before Albert brought up the main topic again. "So, we make our move tonight, that's when the other masters and their servants will be wandering about, I'm sure of it."

Lancer chuckled. "Hehe, indeed. I will do my part and I'll be relying on you to do yours. Once everything goes as I planned, we will have a major advantage over all of the other masters and servants. I'm actually quite excited you know."

Albert raised a brow. "Well let's hope your excitement doesn't take control and make you do something crazy."

"Hahaha! Master please! What could be more crazy than the upcoming storm heading our way?" Lancer asked.

"...Good point." Albert said.

* * *

**Author's Notes: This chapter was a little difficult at first but was easier as I got through it. On the subject of Assassin in case anyone was wondering, I am completely aware that Assassin class servants in the Grail Wars, besides the fifth, are ****Hassan-i-Sabah, but since this story itself is of course non-canon even if I'm trying to tie it in, I moved away from that and allowed for different Assassin class servants instead. Mainly due to the fact that writing the same servant would be too stale, different servants are new and refreshing and can provide something different. In response to another comment, I indeed do research on the servants and as for whether there will be alliances or not, that is one question I can't answer right now, I don't wish to spoil anything for anyone.**

******As usual, please Review!**


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